Not My Intention
by everyoneisMISunderstood
Summary: AU. Annabeth meets Percy and somehow, he always manages to bring some kind of trouble Annabeth doesn't need. But then Percy saves her life, and suddenly Annabeth is trying to stop the inevitable: falling in love with her savior.
1. Chapter 1

**(A/N) I just felt like doing something new. I really shouldn't be posting this, to be honest. I think I have five stories going on now that I'm starting this one, plus I'm uploading random oneshots. I've had this one idea for a oneshot for about three months and I **_**still**_** haven't uploaded yet! Anyway, I hope this isn't particularly cliché, I haven't read too much on this fandom yet, but what I have read I don't recall seeing something like this. Time to put an end to this ridiculously long AN…**

Everyone was talking about the hot new guy. Annabeth was having a great day until she came to school and had to deal with her ridiculous classmates. Annabeth rolls her eyes and murmurs to no one in particular, "Do you have no self respect? He's just another person who's probably a total jerk." All the cute guys were.

One girl turns around with her hands on her hips and brown hair flying as she demands, "Excuse me?"

Annabeth laughs internally. The girl looked like she was ready to start snapping her fingers and waggling her head. She always thought girls like that did that looked a bit like chickens. "I was just wondering why everyone's freaking out," She says in a patronizing tone.

The brunette named Shelly sighs and makes a _tsk-_ing noise. "You wouldn't understand, no offense. I mean, have you even had a boyfriend?"

"Does it matter? I don't need to have a boyfriend to know that he's not that great for everyone to start flipping out." Annabeth says hotly, her face flushing a bit in embarrassment.

The brunette laughs meanly before shouting loudly, "Annabeth's never had a boyfriend!" She lowers her voice and whispers menacingly, "That's what you get for messing with me."

"I didn't even do anything!" the curly haired girl protests hotly. She grimaces to herself before sinking low in her seat as people started whispering mean things about her. Not that she cares.

A boy walks into the room and instantly the whispering switches to a new, much more fascinating topic. "OMG, I wonder if he has a boyfriend." Annabeth winced as the girls continued to talk in texting lingo even though they were clearly having a face to face conversation.

Annabeth notices that he _is _actually pretty good looking. _But he's definitely not good looking enough for everyone to act this way. I hate the way everyone at our school acts sometimes._

She is normally a very nice girl, usually quite charming. When she's happy, she's one of the most fun people to be around. That is, if you try to understand her. A lot of people don't usually get to see this side to her because she doesn't get along well with the people she's around. Her few friends only have lunch with her because she's in honors classes.

Annabeth is pretty mature for her age. She talks like she's far more wise than most adults and she doesn't have time for silly high school drama. She's usually a little bit too busy designing architecture worthy of her idol, the great Daedalus from Greek mythology. Needless to say, no one in this class relates to her and they all think Annabeth is a freak.

Well, everyone except the new boy. The first thing he notices when he walks through the door is the girl with blonde hair and blue eyes sitting in the front who picks up her gaze from her book and sizes him up the instant he walks in the room. Then her gaze flits away, and the boy is curious. "Hey," he says with false confidence. He's actually pretty self-conscious because all he can think about are his many flaws. He always gets that way when he talks to pretty girls. Especially the ones that are smart too.

She narrows her eyes and she sizes him up again before snapping her head in the opposite direction. The boy blinks in confusion. He hadn't done anything wrong, had he? "I feel the love." He says teasingly, hoping to make her smile.

She doesn't think it's very amusing. She turns back to him slowly and says as though she's talking with an idiot, "Glad to know you know how to read me well enough to capture the passion I feel for you." She smiles wryly, and she knows it's clear she isn't interested in him, unlike the rest of the girls in the class.

He grabs her arm and squeezes a little harder than intended. She glares and pulls her arm away before hissing through clenched teeth, "Do _not_ touch me."

He blinks and says genuinely, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." It was true, it wasn't his intention to harm her. It wasn't his intention to harm anyone. Concern washes over his face and he tries to get a better look at her arm to make sure he didn't leave marks.

He's a nice guy. One of the best there are. At his old school, people rejected him because they found out he was different. Once they found out about his somewhat-obsession with the ocean and Greek mythology, they all turned up their noses. He hopes this school is different.

"Perseus Jackson?" The teacher questions, confusion written across her face. She isn't the youngest lady, and she seems a bit befuddled as to who this newcomer is. "Would you like to spend the day with Annabeth as your guide?"

She turns that gaze on him and he realizes her eyes weren't blue like he'd originally thought. No, they were definitely without a doubt a ten times more unique _gray_. They were the exact color of clouds during the most severe and intense of storms.

"Call me Percy." He says, not looking at the teacher. It's clear he's directing the words at the girl whose name was apparently Annabeth.

She gets this look on her face that says, "I don't care what your name is, I just want to go back to what I was doing." Percy wants to laugh, because there aren't many people out there with as much spirit in this world that she clearly has.

The teacher clears her throat and Percy reluctantly looks at her. "Please take a seat next to Shelly." She points to a brown haired girl and he walks to his seat.

Percy wishes he could have sat next to Annabeth to see if he could figure out more about her. Instead, he asks Shelly, "Is she always like that?"

The girl stops her chatter and says flirtatiously, "I don't really want to talk about her. You should want to talk about me, I'm _much_ more interesting."

"I don't think so." Percy says bluntly, not bothering to hide his distaste.

The girl's jaw hits the floor before she says snidely to her friends, "I can't believe I thought he was hot."

Percy sighs and wishes all these people would go away. Well, he didn't want Annabeth to go away. He was curious. He told himself he didn't like her because he wasn't ready for a relationship so soon after…

No. Percy didn't _like_ Annabeth, he was just curious. Really curious…

**(A/N) I'm going to try to make the chapters be about this long, but this is the prologue. What do you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N) Thanks so much for leaving me so many kind reviews, I appreciate every single one of them! **

**Alright guys. I SAW THE MOVIE! Forgive my caps lock, but I really want to post a mini rant here in this Author's Note. **

**The movie was good, but it didn't follow the book at all. It was so inaccurate, I made a list of all the things they did wrong, and I got 32, but then my Beta and good friend **_**Daughters of Night**_** pointed out some that I missed. If you think I'm exaggerating about my list, PM me and I will show you.**

**But overall, I thought the movie was pretty decent. It wasn't absolutely terrible, but it wasn't quite as good as the book and they did leave a lot out and added stuff that was totally unnecessary. But their take on the Lotus Casino will have you dying of laughter XD**

**If you've seen the movie, PM me anyway and let me know what you thought, I'm curious guys!**

**Percy POV**

Thinking is something kind of dangerous for me. See, when I think, I come up with great ideas like: Let's try and figure out how long it takes to make a wasp nest mad! (It only takes about thirty seconds, just in case you're curious.) And: Gee, I wonder if I can make some pancakes by myself since mom isn't home (I promise you, burning the house down wasn't my intention.) So naturally, when I started thinking about Annabeth, well, that didn't go so well.

She was so strange, sort of quirky. She never really talked to people, she always sat in the front of the room with her book and read the entire class period (somehow she never got caught.) She was tough, but you can see that it'd just a show she puts on.

"Percy?" My mom asked, knocking on the door. She walked in the room and studied me quietly. "I called you down for breakfast half an hour ago, and you didn't even answer. Is something wrong?" Of course, my mom didn't mention that I was going to be super late to school. She's just awesome like that; she cares so much more about how I'm feeling than school.

Quickly, hopefully not too quickly, I responded, "Yeah, Mom, I'm fine."

She tilted her head at me and examined me some more. She walked over to where I was sitting by the window and placed my dinner on the table next to us. "Did you meet a girl?"

"Sure, I met lots." I told her, smiling in an almost teasing way.

She didn't seem to want to accept my breezy answer. Mom frowned a bit as she told me, "She must be something special."

I couldn't help but protest, "It's not like that, Mom! I just didn't have a great day, that's all. It's just boring, and different."

"I thought things would be better after moving away. You're surrounded by your cousins and your best friend," She said, her scowl deepening.

I tried to think of a good way to explain to her that moving away doesn't help erase what's already happened. It doesn't change the fact that stupid Gabe used to beat us and it doesn't change the fact that people were still watching me because they thought I was some crazy delinquent. "It'll just take some time adjusting."

She sighed and got this faraway look as she said softly, "It's hard, moving away from – from some of the only good stuff that's happened to us."

I couldn't help the familiar bitterness that washed over me as I muttered angrily, "Why did Dad have to leave us? Doesn't he get what that's put us through?"

"Oh, honey, don't blame your father. He was a good man, very wealthy, but it was dangerous for him to stay. Dangerous for us and him." She told me the same old story thousands of times before, but this extra time didn't make it any better.

I didn't say anything and she patted my arm and said, "Some day it'll make more sense, I hope. I really do think someday you'll understand. I have to head over to the candy shop, but I'll see you later, okay, Percy?"

"Bye, Mom." I told her, standing up and hugging her. I felt bad for making her feel guilty right before she left. I loved my mom more than anything in this world, she was one in a million and she didn't deserve half the drama me and my mood swings put her through.

I sat back down and started to eat my breakfast while getting ready for school. Once I finished, I rode my bike down to the bus stop. I got on and sat down in my own seat. It was weird riding a bus so empty, not to mention going to such a tiny school.

When we got to school, it was a mad dash for the exit of the bus. I chuckled to myself. Private school kids… always so eager to start learning. "What are you laughing at, Seaweed Brain?" I heard my cousin ask as she ran up to me, a half smile half scowl on her face. I don't know how that's possible, but somehow Thalia could pull it off.

"You private school kids just love knowledge, don't you, Pinecone Face?" I told her.

She did something that surprised me: she hugged me. "I was really worried when I saw your face all over the news. Tell me, Perce, how'd you manage to burn down a school that does a security check before they let you inside?"

"Don't ask." I told her, and she smirked at me. "I think we have the same lunch, right?"

She rolled her bright blue eyes and taunted, "If you weren't such a dork and came in the morning yesterday and not in the middle of the afternoon, you would've already known that." She looked at the big clock on the arch of the school and said, "Eh, we're late. Guess we shouldn't cut class today… Anyway, see you later."

We both ran off to get to our first class. The school day was every bit as dreadful as I imagined. I had ADHD and dyslexia which made everything marginally worse, it was something that ran in the family, both Thalia and Nico had the same learning disabilities.

Finally came lunch. I grinned as I slid into a seat next to Grover before slapping him on the back. "Hey, G-Man. What's up?"

"Percy!" He exclaimed. "This is so exciting!"

Nico sat down next to Grover and said, "Try to calm yourself, Grover. We already get enough weird stares."

Thalia walked up, laughing with some girl. One thing to know about Thalia: She almost never really laughs unless it's meanly. But there she was, acting like a normal girl. Well, apart from all her skull jewelry, that is.

My eyes widened as I realized the person she was with. It was _Annabeth._ And Annabeth was smiling too. She was talking rather animatedly, too. So she wasn't as antisocial as I thought. Her gaze met mine and she frowned.

Both of the girls sat down, carefully collecting their skirts. "Why are you sitting here?" Annabeth demanded.

Grover looked at her, confused. "He's my best friend."

"He's my cousin." Nico offered, also looking sort of confused.

Then Thalia decided to pipe up. "Hope you don't mind, but he's my cousin too."

Annabeth held up a hand to her head as though she suddenly had a terrible headache. "Wait a second. Am I the only one who didn't know him before now?" She turned to Thalia who regarded her with a steely calm. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think it really mattered." Thalia told her, and you could hear the truth in her words. She really didn't think it would make a difference.

Of course, since Annabeth really hated me, this didn't go over well. "But-" She broke off and sighed, glaring at me before throwing herself into her conversation.

"What'd you do to her?" Nico asked, nudging me when Thalia, Annabeth, and Grover launched into a conversation about the time when Grover tried to eat a Barbie's hair.

I groaned. I really didn't need to talk about this right now. First my mom, and now Nico. "Well, I don't really know. She just really doesn't like me."

"Hm." He said, before smiling slightly. "I used to like her."

I glanced at him in surprise before lifting my eyebrows. "Oh?"

He nodded, amused. "Not anymore, I already told you that. Why, do _you_ like her or something?"

"Or something. I don't like her." It was pretty much true. She fascinated me, and I liked her as a person, but I didn't like her. I wasn't exactly searching for a relationship right now.

"Yeah, okay. Trust me; it won't be long before you do." He said, sort of knowingly. He leaned over and tugged one of her curls. She looked up, annoyed. She saw it was Nico and smiled a bit before turning back to her conversation. "Now she's like my little sister and my big sister all mixed into one. When Bianca died…" He turned his head slightly, a sad look in his black eyes.

"Anyway, good luck, man. You'll need it."

**(A/N) I have the next chapter typed up, so if I get enough reviews, that should be up tomorrow. By the way, those private school kid jokes... seriously, don't take offense, I go to private school. Happy Valentine's Day!**

**EDIT: They are NOT demigods in this. They are juniors in school, just normal kids. :)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N) Hello! Guys, you gave me a ton of reviews, thanks so much. **

**Annabeth POV**

I groaned as my alarm clock beeped at me annoyingly. I turned over and knocked the clock off my nightstand and smiled as I hugged my pillow and almost fell back asleep. I would have fallen asleep but my dad walked in and said way too loudly, "Annabeth, you need to get up!"

I sat up and rubbed my eyes, trying to shake the weird dream I had. _Why does _he _keep showing up in all my dreams? The last person I dreamed about…_ "Annabeth! C'mon, up!"

"I'm getting up!" I snapped at him.

I turned toward the closed door and threw my pillow at it, resisting the urge to strangle my father.

I never liked my dad, because he never liked me. He never wanted me. I would never be Daddy's Little Girl, only Daddy's Big Mistake. But honestly, I wasn't really mad at my dad. I was more hurt, a sort of hurt that will never go away after I heard the things he said when he thought I was asleep.

I'd never seen my mother, never met her. She must have been very wise, because I clearly didn't get that from "Daddy Dearest." Part of me loved my mom so much it hurt, but another part of me hated her with a passion so strong it made me tremble sometimes.

I've never had a feeling of security, a sense that I have a place where I belong. I fit in with my friends, but I feel like sometimes I can't trust even that relationship. Relationships never last. Just when I think I've found something permanent, something so strong it will never collapse, it crumbles before my very eyes.

Frowning, I got ready for school and at breakfast in silence. As always, my dad tried to make small talk with me. I politely answered his questions but I never allowed him to know how I really felt because I knew he didn't care.

I was drifting into my own thoughts as I poked at my breakfast when I think my dad went nuts. "Annabeth! Sooner or later you have to- you have to forgive me!" My dad shouted at me abruptly, shaking my shoulders slightly. "You think I don't know how mad you are, you think I don't care, but I do!"

"You never act like it!" I shot back at him, prying his hands off me. I glared at him and screamed, "I don't know why you even bother faking it!" I got up and ran out the door before he could stop me.

I walked to the bus stop and saw Thalia waiting for me. "Hey, something wrong?" She asked me, a tiny bit of concern flickering in her blue eyes.

We'd been friends as long as I can remember and I offered her a tight lipped smile before telling her, "My dad's just, you know."

"Ah." Thalia had some serious issues with her mom too, so that was all that need to be said.

Eventually we arrived at out small private school and I walked through the doors, bracing myself for another day at Yancy Academy.

It had been a few days since Percy had arrived, and things had pretty much died down. Well, everything had died down _for the most part._ A few girls were still swooning over them and being rather annoying, but I figured that things would return to normal in another day or so.

I walked in the door and felt eyes on me. I raised my gaze and slowly scanned the room, but no one was looking at me. I frowned, feeling a bit paranoid.

I've always been like that. Whenever someone I don't know walks up to me, or enters the room, I always size them up. I've always been wary of people and things I'm not familiar with. When people I know and am comfortable with hurt me, why should I feel at ease around those I don't even know?

Slowly, I walked to my seat, still feeling a bit squeamish. I slid into my desk and let my backpack fall to the floor with a loud _thud_. My lips lifted into a smile as I unzipped my bag and pulled out my book about Roman and Greek architecture.

I sat in my seat, totally enthralled in my book. The Parthenon… If I closed my eyes, I could practically see the strong support columns. If I ran my fingers along my desk, I could almost feel the smooth marble, the stability. I opened my eyes and smiled a bit more as I continued my reading.

"Why do you like it so much?" I heard him ask curiously. Percy was always there bugging me, of course. I was certain he didn't understand why I disliked him so intensely, but I knew. I knew _exactly_ why I didn't like him, though I hated to admit it to myself.

The truth is, I was scared of Percy Jackson because I didn't… Well, I didn't really get him. Every day, he would try and talk to me. I have this exterior though, and people never bother to get to know me, they think I'm too strange, too out of it. However, my witty comments and sharp remarks did nothing to diffuse his efforts, and every time he saw me he would at least say hello. But Percy still tried, every single day. I didn't understand him.

People are usually so easy to figure out. They can typically be placed into one of three categories. First category: shallow and silly people who think they're better than everyone. Second category: people that are easy to get along with, but for some reason they don't like you. Third category: the unique people, people like my friends.

I wasn't sure which category Percy would fit in. I didn't know him well enough, but there was something about him that made me think he'd fit in with the unique people. He was so different from the other people I knew, everyone except Thalia and Nico. He was a lot like some weird mixture of the two, but seeing as their cousins, that made sense.

Percy sighed and interrupted my thoughts, yet again. "You can't just ignore me."

"I could if I really wanted to." I replied defiantly.

He grinned at me and asked, "Then why are you talking to me?"

I lifted an eyebrow and told him with a sarcastic smile, "Maybe so you'll stop annoying me?"

"But you never answered the question, so technically I could still irritate you."

_Watch it, Percy, you're on dangerous ground._ "Perhaps I don't want to answer." My tone was colder than before and I'm sure Percy could pick up on it. I felt warm tears sting my eyes. It was too soon after my fight with my dad to talk about stuff like this.

I easily shut away my tears as I smirked at Percy's slightly crestfallen face. "Sorry to disappoint." And I sort of was disappointed. Not that many people cared about me so much to want to know things about me, and for the first time I was grateful Percy was so dense and bad at hiding his emotions.

"You hate me."

I blinked in surprise. I wasn't _that_ mean, was I? For him to think I hated him, I must treat him pretty terribly. "I don't."

He snorted, "Yeah, okay."

"I don't!" I insisted before adding on, "I don't hate anyone."

He eyed me curiously. "Why?"

I tried to sound slightly confident as I told him, "I'm always really careful to not hate anyone, because hatred leads to people being hurt and let down."

Percy looked at me and I could see the sympathy in his eyes. I must not have been very convincing about the whole confidence thing because Percy softly told me, "You sound like you have a lot of experience about what that's like. I do too."

I smiled at him, sort of sadly. He smiled back with that same tiredness, and he turned and left me alone. I couldn't help but feel grateful toward him, for not judging me. People nowadays are so quick to reject anyone different, and it was clear that Percy and I were like oil and water; but he still seemed to find me intriguing, rather than just 'weird'.

As I opened up my book again, I still couldn't believe I just told Percy something so personal. I had a semi-moment with Percy Jackson. And I didn't like it.

**(A/N) Is there too much Percabeth for the third chapter? I typed this meant to be as the previous chapter, but I decided that it was a little too… I dunno, just not timed right. I had to post this chapter somewhere, and I wasn't too sure where…**


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N) Hey! It feels like it's been forever since I updated… Someone mentioned a few chapters ago that Shelly should be less obvious, but if I make a bratty and snotty character, I like them to be **_**in your face.**_** Haha :P**

**This also lets you know why Annabeth and Shelly can't stand each other in a little more depth…**

**I find it really hard to write Percy in character, so I'm really sorry if he's OOC. I'm trying, I promise, I'm just not really succeeding all that well.**

**Annabeth POV**

My hand flashed all over the pages. I bit my lip and undid my hair before retying it into yet another messy ponytail. "No, the column can't go there, there needs to be more support over here." I muttered.

"Why are you talking to yourself?" Picking up my head, I saw Shelly standing over me with a snide look on her face. "Loooser!"

I frowned at her, glaring. What right did she have to make fun of others and put people down? She didn't deserve to have any rights at all. She laughed and pinched my cheeks before cooing, "Aw, poor little Anniebethie is trying to look scary!" She let out another cold laugh before grinding out "How… cute."

Calmly, trying to conceal my anger I told her, "I know I scare you. I'm pretty sure everyone knows that I scare you. Ever since third grade when I punched you in the nose for making Thalia cry in public for the first and last time, you've always been scared to death of me." When I saw the disgust and slight embarrassment wash over her face, I knew she had acknowledged my point.

She scowled at me deeply. She turned her gaze down and started inspecting her perfectly manicured nails. "At least I don't try to terrorize people…"

Was she freaking _kidding_? I stood up, seething. "You think you rule this whole school, but you _do not_ rule over me. You don't control me, unlike half of the mindless idiots in this place. And the ones you can't control, the ones who would rather think for themselves, you treat them like crap. How is that not terrorizing people?"

"I never use violence, so it's totally different." She sniffed before literally sticking her nose in the air and telling me snootily, "Besides, I'm not the only one who treats you freaks badly. In fact, I think it's really rude of you to accuse me of something like that!"

My jaw dropped. She had a gift. Somehow, she always manages to make herself the victim. I absolutely hated her. "Shelly, you're such a--"

The door opened, and everyone rushed to their seats. Glancing up, I had to make sure one of the teachers wasn't here. I groaned. As if my day couldn't get any worse. Percy walked in, sat down in the desk next to me, and stated, "Someone's full of sunshine this morning."

"She's just jealous of me, like usual," Shelly addressed him, with a tad of distaste. However, I suppose because she found Percy hot, she didn't go completely psycho on him.

Percy snorted. "I seriously doubt she's jealous of you."

"Thanks for the backup, but it isn't necessary," I told Percy, trying not to sound like I hated him… didn't need to go through that conversation again.

He frowned and said sort of angrily, "You know, you're really difficult."

"I'm never going to make things easy for you, or anyone." I responded, smiling sweetly, false innocence written on my face.

His face darkened considerably as he turned and for the first time, didn't say anything to me. For a second, I was worried about offending him, but then I realized, I didn't say or so anything wrong, so it wouldn't make sense for him to be hurt.

The class seemed to fly by. It felt like as soon as I got in the class room, it was over. Percy seemed more cheerful toward the end as he jerked his hand in a kind of awkward wave and brightly stated, "See you, Annabeth."

I walked to my next class slowly, wishing I could just go home. I rubbed my temples, a habit of mine that kicked in when I got stressed out. Leaning against my locker, I took several deep breaths, wishing I could cut class and go for a swim. The ocean always calmed me down…

Walking through the door, I noticed that everything in the room went silent as soon as I set my foot in the classroom. My brow furrowed as I made my way over to my seat, trying to ignore the way people were glaring at me. I sighed internally, so sick of all this drama.

In a muffled voice that was clearly meant to be a whisper, I heard one girl, Cathy, talking to her best friend Olivia. "Did you hear about the fight Shelly got in with her?" Turning my head slightly, out of my peripheral vision I could see her jabbing a finger in my direction. "I heard that they were arguing because new guy likes her. I can't see why he would though."

Slowly, I lifted my head, praying that this conversation was _not_ about who I thought it was about.

"Yeah, I know right… she's so stupid, she probably can't even tell he likes her…" Quietly, she giggled and proceeded with, "After all, she's never even had a boyfriend." My fist clenched, and I really hoped they weren't talking about me and Percy. Because I definitely am not stupid, and he doesn't like me, despite what they thought! And as for the boyfriend comment… I thought those rumors stopped days ago.

"I dunno, I think it's so ridiculously obvious. Besides, isn't she, like, an A student or something? Plus I heard that they were talking about that weird emo girl and she blew up on Shelly."

I prickled at the mention of Thalia. After a few more minutes of this conversation I whirled around, my ponytail loosening, and demanded, "Would you guys just shut up?"

The two teenagers stared me down together before one of them rolled their eyes. "Uh, no offense hun, but you aren't the boss of me." Both of them laughed and shared an amused look.

_Just remember, Annabeth, people like them aren't worth your time. Not worth your time, not worth your time, not worth your time…_ I continued to think this little chant for the rest of the class, and I somehow managed to tune out all the gossip about me and my friends.

When the bell rang I grabbed my stuff and stood up so fast I literally scattered papers like in the movies. I cursed lowly and picked up my stuff before walking out the door. "Hey, Annabeth," I glanced up, seeing Thalia standing next to me. "So, I heard you and Percy--"

"It's not true! Whatever it is, it's all lies!" I shouted angrily, not believing that Thalia would listen to the crap that Shelly had been spreading around. Not to sound childish, but wasn't Thalia supposed to be on my side, not hers?

Thalia looked like she wanted to start laughing, but I guess once she saw the seriousness on my face, she held up her hands. "Relax, I was just kidding." I watched as she grew more sober as she told me, "But to be honest, some of the rumors are pretty bad."

"I'm sure they are." I said bitterly, looking down as I walked toward to cafeteria.

She placed a hand on my shoulder, a bit of gentleness replacing the electricity in her eyes. "They aren't true though, so it doesn't really matter. Tomorrow everyone will find something new to gossip about."

The familiar twinkle was back in her eyes as she nudged me and teased, "At least, I know the ones about _you_ aren't true. But for all I know Percy might actually be 'Totally obsessed with that Annabeth girl!'"

I laughed and smacked her lightly on the arm. "I doubt that."

My best friend wiggled her eyebrows almost suggestively and I cracked up some more. I glanced at her, grateful that she cheered me up like always. "I gotta say, my life was much easier without your cousin."

"Mine too." She told me, nodding seriously. "Man, that Nico…"

"Not him, you idiot." She grinned like the Cheshire cat and we slid into our seats at our table.

Grover picked up his head and smiled. "Hi! How's it going."

I thought about it before saying sarcastically, "Oh, just dandy!" I glanced over at Percy for a split second and noticed he was poking at his food, the slightest hint of pink on his cheeks. I felt my own face begin to warm a bit, and I groaned internally.

_Why are you blushing?_ I asked myself. _Oh yeah, because now things are going to be awkward between us for the rest of eternity… as if our 'relationship' wasn't weird enough. _

**(A/N) I love Thalia and Annabeth's friendship… I just think it's really nice how you can see in the books and everything that they're so close. By the way. **

**GO VOTE ON MY POLL, PLEASE! I'm putting this in every story I have, and once I post a chapter with this note on each story, I won't be updating until I get 40 votes on my poll. And I know that I can get there if I give you guys some incentive.**

**ALSO! Go PM my beta (_Daughters of Night_) soon because her birthday is coming up! She's wonderful and I don't know what I'd do without her!**


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N) I am posting this in honor of my beta and wonderful friend, **_**Daughters of Night**_**. She wanted me to update this story, so that's what I did!**

**Percy POV**

I was just sitting there, playing with duct tape, minding my own business, when Grover and Nico decided to destroy my world. (Good thing I had duct tape with me, because duct tape can fix anything and everything.) "So, you like Annabeth. Word has it, you've proposed to her and asked her to move to Czechoslovakia and grow radishes and sell them for the rest of your lives!" Nico said as I spluttered.

"You're kidding? Of all the places to move…" I mumbled under my breath.

Nico rolled his eyes. "I was kidding about the last part. But the beginning? Now that's true. Right?"

I stared at him. And stared at him. Just when I opened my mouth to make some snippy comeback, Grover decided to break in, "What about Rachel? I thought you--" He broke off, probably catching Nico's sharp glare. "Never mind."

But of course, when you say stuff like that, the damage is done. I sat there, going into 'Pensive Percy' mode. I ripped pieces of ducts tape into shreds, focusing my anger and pain on something else.

We all sat in silence, the tension in the air thickening it, making it harder to breathe. No one wanted to say something, because they knew when I got hurt and mad one small word could set me off. Staring out the window, I couldn't help but think… and remember.

"I'm sorry Percy!" Grover finally stated anxiously, the silence shattered. "I didn't mean to. I would never hurt you."

His eyes started to water a tiny bit, and I sighed. "Don't cry."

Grover immediately protested, "I wasn't!"

Nico sat there, shaking his head at both of us. "Anyway, now that that awkwardness is over… is it true? That you like her?"

"Who?" I asked, confused. One minute we were talking about Annabeth, and the next we were sitting in silence as we thought about Rachel.

The black haired teen rolled his eyes. "I'm talking about Annabeth."

Slowly and deliberately, I told him, "Haven't we gone through this?"

"Yeah. And remember, I told you, and I quote, 'It won't be long before you do.' And it's been long enough." Nico replied smartly, a smirk etched on his face.

I sucked in a breath, telling myself that this interrogation would be over soon. "Dude, I told you already, I don't like her, and I still don't." Even as I said it though, I could feel the doubt.

"You're bad at keeping your emotions from showing," Grover observed, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Of course, I've always been good at picking up your emotions. And right now, you aren't sure if you like her or not."

I groaned. Nico chuckled, a dark sort of maniacal laugh that would scare small children. "See? Grover is on my side!"

Instantaneously, Grover began to argue. "Grover isn't- I mean, _I'm_ not on anybody's side! I'm neutral, just putting forth my honest opinion. Though I must say, Nico seems right." I couldn't help but smile. He's always been such a people pleaser, that Grover.

"It doesn't matter who seems right, no one knows better than me. I don't like her that way, she just interests me." I flung the words from my mouth, and I winced as I realized how empty the words sounded.

Nico glared at me. He picked up a tacky glue bottle and chucked it at me. "Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing the spot on my arm where the projectile hit me. "You don't need to throw glue."

He still kept that icy stare fixated on my face. "She isn't a science fair project; she shouldn't _interest_ you like she's something fun and entertaining to learn from."

"I didn't mean it like that," I responded hotly, still not seeing the reason he felt the need to peg something at me.

Grover, who had just been sitting in the room quietly, piped in, "So you meant interested as in _interested?_" He asked, winking at me.

Dead silence. The awkward quietness was broken as Nico stated, "Please, don't ever wink like that again."

Grover blushed and muttered an apology. "Anyway… despite the creepy facial expressions, he does have a point. You like her, even if you haven't admitted it to yourself yet."

"Why does it matter?" I asked them, not willing to admit defeat even though I could see the logic in what they were trying to tell me. "Not that I do like her, because I don't, but if I did like her, then it wouldn't matter, so why are you implying it would matter?" That made no sense, and I probably sounded like I was in denial. That's just great. Not that I was in denial, because I'm… oh, never mind.

Nico and Grover both started laughing. After the crazy fits died down, Nico told me, "I guess it doesn't really matter, but you certainly aren't bothering to make it unobvious. Though lucky you, Annabeth is pretty slow about that kind of stuff." I lifted my brows. Annabeth and slow didn't belong in the same sentence together.

Quietly, I told them, "So say I do like her." I winced at how nervous I sounded. I cleared my throat, somewhat anxiously. "That doesn't mean she likes me, and it doesn't mean I want to date her."

Grover burst out, "She'll come around. She can't just ignore you forever. And even if she doesn't like you, then it'll be alright. She just wouldn't be right for you."

Nico stared at Grover and teased, "That was really deep, man." Grover nodded appreciatively, not picking up on Nico's sarcasm.

After a few minutes of quiet, the talking started up again. "Do I smell… bacon?" Nico asked, excitedly jumping up and darting down the stairs.

Grover wrinkled his nose and wailed, "How can you guys eat that stuff? Poor pigs!"

But I was already dashing to the smell wafting from the kitchen, my thoughts of Annabeth forgotten. But of course, she wouldn't be pushed out of my mind forever.

**(A/N) Alright! I should update soon, hopefully, but I have play practice and a few more cheer practices, so don't get your hopes up.**


	6. Chapter 6

**(A/N) Hello! I kept trying to write this chapter one way, and eventually I had to scrap the entire thing and restart… I've been so busy lately, and I'm sorry for that **

**This chapter isn't all fluff like the past few, just to warn you.**

**Percy POV**

_I trembled as the gun was jabbed into my gut. I was already losing too much blood from the shot on my arm; a blow to my stomach would surely do me in. I sucked in a breath as pain threatened to overwhelm me. "Ready to die, kid?" The biker sneered, about to pull the trigger._

"_No! Stop!" A girl shrieked, and suddenly the pressure in my stomach was gone. I collapsed on the ground, writhing a bit. The black spots in my vision were increasing, and I started to feel slightly giddy._

_The girl with bright orange hair looked vaguely familiar. She was lying on the ground next to the crazy guy… was she dead? _

_Then she moved, picking up the gun-_

My mouth opened in a silent howl as I jolted awake and tried to calm my heart which was about to jump out of my chest. I _hated_ that dream. It was recurring; I kept having it since that stupid, life-changing day. I mean, couldn't I have a break from all this crap once in awhile?

Glancing down at my arm, I rubbed the scar tenderly. After I had that nightmare, it always seemed to feel hotter than the rest of my body. I was marked forever, and I cursed lowly knowing that I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep.

Slowly, I inched my way out of bed and stumbled down the steps. Making my way into the kitchen, I plopped down on one of the bar stools. I glanced at the phone and wondered if I should call my dad.

Hesitantly, I picked up the phone. I started to punch the numbers in, my hand flew over the keys. My hand shook slightly as he answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Hey, Dad… it's Percy." I responded gruffly, my voice cracking slightly like it always did when I just got up.

My father and my mother really did love each other, and they never got a divorce or anything. My dad was in the military, and one day my mom got a call that my dad died. It turned out; he wasn't dead but in a serious coma. She remarried while he was in that deep sleep, and when he came back, we were both astonished. My dad left because he saw how happy my mom was, and I went with him.

But then I had to move back in with my mom and Paul when… The Incident happened.

"Percy! It's been so long since you called," He said happily. "But it must be so late there in New York. Is something wrong?"

I bit my lip, trying to decide if I should fess up and tell my dad the truth. "I had that dream again."

There was a slight gap of silence before my dad finally questioned, "You mean…?" He trailed off, not bothering to finish his sentence.

"Yeah."

My dad cleared his throat, and I groaned internally. I loved my dad and all, but sometimes he just tried too hard to be the strong, parental type even though we both knew that was something that didn't come naturally to him. "Now, Son, I'm not sure how you're recovering. This moving was supposed to help you get over what happened, and I'm a little concerned and I'm certain Sally is too. It's just not normal for someone to go through all you have and not see someone professionally--"

"Dad, I'm not gonna see some psychiatrist. I mean, they can only ask 'And how does that make you feel?' so many times before it just gets annoying." I told him tartly, tempted to hang up the phone.

Dad sighed. "I need to go now; I was in the middle of a meeting when you called. But I might have to have a talk about this with your mother if she notices this kind of behavior continuing."

"Bye, Dad." I mumbled before pressing the "End Call" button on the wireless phone. I returned to phone to its stand before heading back upstairs to at least try to get some sleep.

When I reached my bed and pulled the covers over my head, there was a quiet knock on the door. "Percy, honey? Is everything okay?" My mom asked, opening the door. Concern was written all over her face before she inquired, "Did you have that dream again?"

I groaned. "Yes, Mom. I just finished talking to Dad about it, and now I just wanted to get some sleep."

When I saw my mom's face fall and her eyes water a bit, I immediately regretted my words. I really loved my mom, and it sucks that she got stuck with a troubled kid like me. "Sorry," I told her quietly, getting out of bed, _again._

"Percy, I know things will get better. It's good for you to be here surrounded by friends. And of course, there's that Annabeth girl. She sounds quite special," My mom told me, eyes sparkling again, though this time with mischief and not tears.

I rolled my eyes and playfully tossed a pillow at my mom. She smiled and closed the door. "Goodnight."

And when I closed my eyes, suddenly my dreams weren't haunted with red hair and green eyes, but a certain blonde with gray eyes.

**(A/N) I liked this chapter. I actually really did :D And I know it's short, so I'm even including a sneak peek of the next chapter!**

I slipped one foot into the water, followed by the other. I waded out into the sea, unaware of the darkening sky.

Flipping onto my back, I closed my eyes. I allowed myself to drift farther out, laughing quietly. _This is more like it… a nice relaxing sw-_

Frowning, I opened my eyes as I noticed the waves growing choppier, no longer soothing. Glancing up, I saw gray cloud and a droplet of water fell onto my face.

That was when I heard the person screaming, "ANNABETH!" I jerked my head up and saw a blob of a person. I tried to touch my feet to the floor and began to panic slightly when I realized that I couldn't.

By now it was pouring and thunder was booming. I choked a bit as the wave smacked me in the face and I was pummeled under the surface. I was normally a strong swimmer, so I began to kick my legs viciously, trying to make it back to shore.

Another wave crashed on top of my head and I coughed, trying to get in a breath of air. When I realized it was useless, and that struggling would only prolong my death and not prevent it, I stopped. "No, Annabeth! Don't give in!" The person shouted, sounding much closer.

_Why?_ I asked silently. _What's the point? _

This was it. This was how I would die.

**(A/N) End of sneak peek!**


	7. Chapter 7

**(A/N) Hello! I bet you guys are really glad that I'm on break, because that means I end up updating out of boredom XD **

**  
I did edit the Sneak-Peek a little bit to fit with the rest of the chapter, but it's still pretty much the same.**

**The first part of the chapter was inspired by a picture. Yes, that's right, a picture. If you want to see it, I'll post a link on my profile. And no, I don't think the girl in the picture looks like Annabeth :P**

**.**

**Annabeth POV**

_Luke. Luke. Luke._ He was the one who hurt me in ways that words cannot explain.

His name fell into my mind with the same rhythm that the rain hit my window pane. All it took to bring on this montage of pain was to stumble upon that photo album… full of so many happy memories that are unreachable.

Everything seems so dreary when it rains. The droplets fall, looking suspiciously like tears as the gloom spreads over everyone and everything. From now on, I know that when I think of rain, I will think of Luke. Why? Because rain brings pain, and so does Luke.

Rain also brings joy, but that side is not seen as often. Dancing in the rain is for silly optimists, those who can somehow see through the bleakness that rain causes… in other words, rain is for the kind of person I wish I could be.

I turned, buried my head in the pillow and screamed. "It hurts so much!" I sobbed. This was the first time since it happened that I had any reaction, it was such a short time ago, only a month. At the funeral, I was stoic and solid because of the light they cast him in, the way they pointed out that everyone knew this was coming. Back then, I would see all the bad things they mentioned about him. It was easy to stay strong when I was angry at him.

I'm still angry at him, but the overwhelming sadness was more overpowering than the terrible fury. He ripped my heart out, and the only thing that could make me feel better wasn't something I could receive. All I needed was an apology.

Turning my body to the wall, I punched it as hard as I could. I relished the physical pain because it was the only way I knew that my body was still alive.

I sat there, unmoving. How could I move? The pain was immobilizing. My dad ran up and begged me to stop crying, but my mother told him to leave me alone, that I'd come out when I was ready.

Eventually, the rain did stop, but the pain never left. It was soothed a bit, but not completely erased. The sun peeped out, and a tiny bit of hope surged through me.

Impulsively, I grabbed my backpack and left the house, ignoring my dad's questions. Stiffly, I walked to the only place that could calm my roiling emotions. When I heard the waves lapping along the shore, I closed my eyes and smiled. The beach.

I kicked off my shoes and walked along the beach, my toes sinking into the sand. The hurt could almost be shoved into the back of my mind as I remembered the time when Luke, Thalia, Grover, and me were all here, splashing each other and laughing like some cheesy movie.

I noticed with irritation someone walking down the road. I did my best to ignore the fact that someone was about to invade my thoughts.

Glancing out at the ocean, I couldn't help but admire how calm the waters looked. The storm before the peace was over. Grinning almost insanely, I walked closer to the water. Some voice of reason was trying to convince me not to go, but I refused to listen. _Annabeth, you aren't thinking clearly. You're hurt and upset… this is _not_ a good idea. What if the storm starts again?_

Ignoring my gut instinct, I slipped one foot into the water, followed by the other. I waded out into the sea, unaware of the darkening sky. Or maybe I did notice but wanted to ignore it because if the waters started to fall, I knew my misery would begin to start again.

Flipping onto my back, I closed my eyes. I allowed myself to drift farther out, laughing quietly. _This is more like it… a nice relaxing sw-_

Frowning, I opened my eyes as I noticed the waves growing choppier, no longer soothing. Glancing up, I saw gray cloud and a droplet of water fell onto my face.

That was when I heard the person screaming, "ANNABETH!" I jerked my head up and saw a blob of a person. I tried to touch my feet to the floor and began to panic slightly when I realized that I couldn't.

How could I be so stupid? I was just like Luke, throwing my life away with no concern for those that love me.

By now it was pouring and thunder was booming. I choked a bit as the wave smacked me in the face and I was pummeled under the surface. I was normally a strong swimmer, so I began to kick my legs viciously, trying to make it back to shore, refusing to follow in Luke's footsteps.

Another wave crashed on top of my head and I coughed, trying to get in a breath of air. When I realized it was useless, and that struggling would only prolong my death and not prevent it, I stopped. _Luke will be so proud. You always did want to please him and be just like him, didn't you? _That wry voice stated. "No, Annabeth! Don't give in!" The person shouted, sounding much closer.

_Why?_ I asked silently. _What's the point? _

This was it. This was how I would die.

The storm was tossing me around like I was a broken rag doll. "Please, Annabeth." The person begged me, "We still need you." Just like I needed Luke.

I began to try and fight my way to the surface, a silent prayer going up to whatever gods might be real. _Please. Save me._ The water was starting to slow me down. My muscles and lungs ached and my eyes were starting to flutter shut.

I felt a sharp tug on my arm and my eyes flew open. The last thing I saw before I passed out from lack of oxygen was a pair of brilliant green eyes filled with determination.

_Percy. Percy. Percy._ He would be the one to save me.

**(A/N) Look at the beginning and ending sentences ;P**

**By the way, out of curiosity, how old do you think I am?**


	8. Chapter 8

**(A/N) Hello, fellow PJO fans! **** I feel like it's been forever since I've updated this! **

**Percy POV**

I dove into the water. People often said I swim like a fish, and I'd never been more grateful then at this moment. I frantically moved my arms and legs trying to reach the girl bobbing up and down with the beat of the waves. She stopped screaming and I noticed her lying in the water, head down.

If you asked me what I shouted at her, honestly, I can't say I remember. The only thing I recall is screaming something at Annabeth, desperately trying to get her to listen to me. I pushed myself harder.

When I finally reached her body, her gray eyes were closing. I jerked her on the arms, trying to make sure she stayed conscious. Her eyelids snapped open and her intelligent gaze was fixated on mine for a few brief seconds before they rolled back into her head and she became deadweight.

I'm not calling Annabeth fat (I've learned the hard way that if you even _accidentally_ word something wrong and "imply" that a girl is fat, you will get slapped) but dang, nothing had ever strained my muscles more than swimming against the current with one hundred plus pounds in tow.

The storm was calming… thank goodness it had only been scattered thunderstorms and not one that was ongoing.

Something inside was telling me to just give up, that it wasn't even worth fighting. Maybe _my_ life wasn't worth fighting for… but hers? I wasn't ready to throw away something so precious. So I fought harder, trying to keep her head above the water.

My mind started to wander and I thought maybe I should be a lifeguard… _Focus, Percy! _I told myself sharply. _Now is not the time for your ADD to be kicking in._

The shore was slowing drawing nearer and I couldn't have been happier. I needed a break; my body was running on adrenaline which was already fading. Even when I was on the swim team I hadn't pushed myself this hard…

_Just one more kick. You're almost there._ I coached myself.

After what seemed like an eternity, my feet finally touched dry sand. I pulled Annabeth up the shore a little bit, so grateful that there was no longer any rain pouring from the sky.

I knew I had to get Annabeth and I somewhere safe and out of the way in case the storm started up again. Tilting my head upward, I noticed that there were tons of clouds still overhead. Sighing, I scooped Annabeth up and carried her flung over one shoulder.

There was a cave around the beach somewhere; I just had to remember where it was. Glancing left and right, I squinted my eyes as sand flew into my face. When I finally saw the cave, I could have leaped in joy had I not been so tired. I shuffled there as quickly as I could.

Once I got in there, I gently set Annabeth on the ground. I sat next to her, wondering how someone can look cute after being beat up by vicious waves.

Shaking my head, I wondered about something more important… why was she out here? Was she trying to kill herself?

My eyes were just starting to shut when I heard her begin to cough. I had debated earlier if she needed CPR, but found that it wasn't really necessary as she was breathing fine and I didn't want to stress her body by forcing air into it. And okay, maybe it was a little on the awkward side.

"What in Hades is going on?" She demanded, placing a hand on her heart as her lungs trying to force more water out.

I rolled my eyes. See, I was expecting something like, _Wow, Percy, you saved my life. You're so cool._ "Why Hades?"

Annabeth looked and me and said, "I like Greek mythology, okay? Plus my… dad," She spat the word out as though saying it would cause the whole world to explode, "hates it when I swear, so I try not to."

"I love Greek mythology."

She smiled at me and joked, "Who knows, maybe you're a son of Poseidon!"

I busted out laughing. "Me… a… son… of _Poseidon?_ Yeah right! I mean, if I'm a son of Poseidon, then Thalia would be, what? A daughter of Zeus? And while we're at it, let's make Nico a son of Hades!"

Annabeth chuckled. "Yeah, it was a joke. The gods aren't even real, Seaweed Brain." She said, pulling a piece of kelp off my head.

"Seaweed Brain? What kind of a nickname is that?" I asked her, only half joking. If I was going to be called something related to water, couldn't it be something epic like a shark? Not some stupid plant.

She grinned at me wickedly. "What, you don't like that name?"

"Erm. I… love it?" I said weakly, crossing my fingers and hoping that she wouldn't start going on a montage of embarrassing nick names. I crinkled my nose at the thought, and of course, whenever I crinkle my nose my eyes end up going cross-eyed.

Annabeth burst out laughing. "If you… could see… your face!" She started giggling hysterically. I glanced at her and realized she was so innocent when she laughed. She hiccupped while sucking in air and she had such a nice smile on her face. "Man, Percy. You really _suck_ at lying."

Shrugging, I stood up and squinted at the sunlight streaming through the gap leading into the cove. "It looks like the storm is done." I held out a hand to help her up and she scowled before trying to stand up on her own. "You just tried to kill yourself and you really think you can walk by yourself?"

Bad, bad, bad, bad, _bad¸ _statement. Annabeth whirled on me so fast that I didn't even have time to wonder where she found the strength and balance to spin and face me so quickly. "Yes, Percy, I do." But she didn't sound angry which somehow made her seem scarier.

I blinked before speaking slowly, hoping that she wouldn't attack me. "Okay…? Sorry?"

She didn't say anything, just hobbled out of the cave with an aggravated expression written on her face.

_Girls… they don't make any sense. _"Come on." Annabeth beckoned to me, obviously trying to conceal her annoyance.

I followed Annabeth, assuming that we were going to her house. We walked in an awkward silence. I couldn't help but wonder what I did wrong, but I figured it'd be smarter if I just didn't ask.

We got to a nice two-story home with green shutters when Annabeth began walking up the driveway. "Oh, wait. You better not follow me; I don't want my parents to ask questions." She sounded stiff, like she was trying to conceal her emotions. I nodded and she glanced at me.

The anger seemed to wipe off her face to be replaced with confusion. Her gray eyes soon recovered their usual sharp intelligence. She began to shift from foot to foot, looking antsy. Annabeth didn't really strike me as the type to get nervous, so seeing her anxiousness made me feel out of place.

I was contemplatingjust leaving, trying to save any sense of suavity I had left. "Hey…" She bit her lip before plowing on, "Thanks. Sorry for not saying it sooner but-"

Since Annabeth looked like she might die if she finished apologizing, I interrupted her, "No problem. I'll see you in school, okay?" Before she could say anything else and make either of us more uncomfortable, I walked away.

I only looked back once I heard the door shut. I shook my head thinking to myself, _And you thought your relationship was complex before..._

**(A/N) So, what did you guys think? By the way, anxiousness and suavity are actually real words! How cool is that?**


	9. Chapter 9

**(A/N) So here I am, back for now! But I warn you, this is the last update you'll be getting for a few weeks because I'm gonna be going on vacation! But I might montage you with new chapters when I get back because I'm bringing my journal **

**Btw, sorry for the Yu- Gi- Oh mention, it's my current obsession XD**

**Annabeth POV**

I woke up screaming. Yeah, I am aware of the fact that that's incredibly cliché, but it's the truth. When you envision your first love drowning you, I'm quite certain you'd scream too.

And the worst part about my dreams? Percy wasn't even there to save me, he couldn't even help me out. And so I'd die.

I hadn't seen Percy over the weekend, and we hadn't talked since I almost died. I was dreading seeing him in school. Was that weird? I shook my head, feeling uncertain about the situation. How was I supposed to break the tension that had built between us as a result of many odd occurrences?

Sighing, I turned and glared at the clock. It was already six in the morning… At least I only missed out on half an hour of sleep. I turned off my alarm, and tip-toed out of my room, hoping I didn't wake anyone.

I smiled when I realized I made it down the stairs without causing something chaotic and crazy to happen. I turned on the TV and watched _Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's_, shaking my head at the complete ridiculousness of the show.

Eventually I ran back upstairs and changed into my school clothes. I finished getting ready before dashing out the door and walking to school.

When I got there, Thalia immediately ran up to me and questioned "Hey, so how was your weekend?"

Abruptly, I lifted my eyes to meet her stare. Did she know? Had Percy told her? "Oh, it was great," I mumbled, hoping that she would ignore the underlying notes of panic in my voice.

"Cool. So I was wondering if maybe…" That's when I noticed Percy walking into school. I tuned Thalia out and stared and stared at the green eyed boy that saved my life.

Was it just me, or had Percy suddenly grown to be more handsome? I shook my head. "Oh, so you don't wanna go?" Thalia asked, sounding slightly suspicious.

Thalia looked up and followed my line of sight. She lifted her black eyebrows at me and exclaimed, "You're tuning me out to stare at my cousin_?_"

"I wasn't staring at Percy! He… uh, I think he got a new… backpack!" For someone so smart, I wasn't very good at lying. Actually, I was a very good liar, but not to people I cared about. I couldn't help but acknowledge the way they always seemed to know when I wasn't telling them the whole truth.

Thalia chuckled. "Yeah, whatever you say, Wise Girl. Anyway, do you wanna go to the movies later or not?" I agreed to go and we made plans to go and catch a flick at around seven.

I noticed out of my peripheral vision that Percy was approaching us. As he neared the spot where Thalia and I were socializing, I dropped my shaken emotions about him and pretended to be the Annabeth everyone knew; someone witty and above all sorts of high school drama. I laughed sarcastically and made fun of Percy the same way I always had, but now it wasn't really spiteful, but teasing. Though it was definitely _not_ flirtatious.

When the bell rang, I walked to my study hall. I hated this class, it was so boring. All we did was sit and pretend to do something when really I just read a book. I loved reading, but still, it got boring half way through the year.

So naturally, when Percy passed me a not that read "Do you wanna ditch?" I smiled and nodded at him. Our teacher was really old and she didn't notice anything so Percy and I walked right out of the room.

We found an empty class room, and I waited for Percy to say something first. I didn't really consider how awkward it would be to ditch class with someone who I was having mild issues with.

"Someone saved my life once. So now I guess I've paid off my debt." I turned and looked at Percy questioningly. Somehow I didn't think that would be the first thing he'd tell me. Especially since… well, it was Percy, Percy who was always joking and never serious.

"Her name was Rachel, and she mattered to me more than anything. This crazy biker guy was after me, and I still don't know why he wanted to… kill me. He shot me in the arm, and he was about to shoot me in the stomach. Rachel came and saved me. She shot him." Percy paused, a faraway look in his eyes. I could see pain flooding the memories that were resurfacing.

I didn't know what I was supposed to say to something like that. "I'm sorry" just didn't seem appropriate. So instead I replied with, "That must have been so hard on her."

Percy laughed. And to be honest, it scared me a little. The chuckle was so bitter and cold; it made me wonder how much Percy had really gone through. "You have no idea," he muttered darkly and I felt a chill run through my bones.

Then it was gone. All that blackness faded out of him and instead he looked very, very tired. "She went crazy. Literally. She kept thinking she was having visions of what was to come in the future, she kept seeing him coming back and hurting her." He paused, and I saw something glisten in his eyes for a split second before he blinked sharply.

"Rachel killed herself."

There was a moment of silence.

Finally, I found the courage to speak up. "I… lost someone like that too. I thought I loved him." Now it was my turn to join the pity party and laugh cruelly. "But he was so selfish. Nothing was even that bad in his life, and it still wasn't enough." _Me and Thalia weren't enough…_

Percy looked at me and his emerald toned eyes pierced into mine. I tried not to look away as he intensely gazed at me. "It was hard, watching you die seeing as Rachel killed herself by jumping off a cliff and drowning."

I tried not to shake. Once I regained my composure, I calmly told Percy, "I was just going for a swim. I was being careless."

"Pay more attention next time." He said harshly.

I bristled at his tone and snapped, "It happened once, I'm not so stupid that I'll make the same mistake twice!"

He glared at me before eventually looking away. He nodded curtly and we sat in another awkward silence. Luckily though, the bell rang shortly after and before I knew what I was doing, I uttered the words, "Thanks for talking."

"Thanks for listening. And sorry for… you know." He smiled, looking slightly abashed.

I smiled back tentatively. "I'll see you later?" He nodded, and I had a feeling skipping study hall was going to become a tradition.

**Shelly POV**

I grinned, feeling more than just a little evil. _Oh, Annabeth. I warned you that you shouldn't mess with me._

Whipping out my phone, I scrolled through the videos until I found the one I wanted. The one where Percy was saying, "It was hard, watching you die seeing as Rachel killed herself by jumping off a cliff and drowning."

In the space where I could insert text I typed, "Seems like Percy has a thing for crazy girls…"

And with that, I pressed the send button, feeling only the slightest bit guilty.

**(A/N) Reviews would be loved!**


	10. Chapter 10

**(A/N) Hello everyone **** I'm back! (As you've probably noticed) So in this chapter, I say stuff about private school that might not be true about all private schools; I'm just using my personal experience to better describe the situation at Percy and Annabeth's fictional school.**

**Percy POV**

Walking into school, I couldn't help but notice a lot of people were staring at me. They weren't the usual "wow what a freak" stares that I'd gotten since Shelly began talking crap about me. No, these gazes were… almost worshipping. A few guys that hated me before were even giving me nods of respect.

I decided to try and ignore the awkwardness of the situation. I mean, psh, so what if tons of people were staring at me? I was Percy, and I didn't care! (I didn't even buy that, so I doubted other people would. Still, I had to try to be confident, right?)

But then I walked by one of the clusters of people. "Yeah, she was drowning and she _totally_ would have drowned if _he_," she gestured to me, "didn't save her." The girl sighed. "He's so hot! Drowning is definitely worth it if he'd come save me." Her friends all giggled.

Stiffly, I walked away. So. They were talking about Annabeth drowning… the discomfort I felt came rushing back, only now it was much worse.

I shouldn't have expected anything less. After all, word travels fast in a small school. Especially when it was hot gossip about someone drowning.

I paced with my head down, trying to avoid the looks people were giving me, but then I saw Annabeth and Thalia arguing. They both looked _very _annoyed and angry, so I walked over to them. Once I reached the spot where the two girls were bickering, I intervened, "What, guys. Calm down."

Thalia glanced up and I saw something like gratitude flash in her eyes. "Thank God. You saved her." She directed at me before turning back to her blonde friend. "Buy you… how could you do that? _Why? _After what—" Thalia falteed before continuing in a slightly quieter tone, "After what… happened… to Luke, why?"

"I told you already, I'm pretty sure _that_ was not what I was intending!" Annabeth shouted, clearly losing any patience she had left.

Resisting the urge to pull my hair out, (because I always thought bald guys were kinda creepy, but hey, to each their own) I demanded, "Could someone please tell me what's going on?"

They both stared at me, like I was stupid. Which maybe I was, but that wasn't the point. "Isn't it obvious?" Annabeth finally inquired, looking and sounding exasperated. "She thinks I tired to kill myself.

_Tried to kill myself, tried to kill myself, tried to kill myself…_ The words echoed over and over. Even though I was raging inside, I tried to keep a cool exterior. I breathed slowly and opened my eyes, not realizing I had closed them. I wasn't sure why I was reacting this way.

Slowly, I lifted my eyes to Annabeth and asked her shortly, "Well? Were you?"

Annabeth looked at me for a few seconds before she looked away. "I don't think so?" The way she said it, with such uncertainty, it was almost as bad as if she'd said a flat out yes.

Thalia piped up and spoke the words we were both thinking, "What do you mean, you don't _think _so?"

The gray eyed girl looked back up again, seeming to be clearly frustrated, "Thalia, I told you. It wasn't what I was planning on but..." Annabeth frowned before continuing, "but I can't be sure if maybe subconsciously…" She trailed off, but this time she didn't finish what she was saying.

The glares Annabeth received clearly seemed to make her feel even more uncomfortable. In a seemingly desperate attempt to change the subject she shot out, "Do you know who's been spreading the rumors about what happened?"

Luckily for her, the topic she brought up was good enough to redirect the attention off her. "No. But what I heard people saying about you wasn't too bad." Of course, what I overheard was praise about me, so of course I'd like to be hearing that.

Annabeth looked up before snapping, "Then you clearly haven't heard to worst of it. People have gone so far as to say I'm just outright insane. That I see people, hear voices. Others just avoid me because they're afraid of wack jobs, apparently wack jobs like me." The bitterness in her voice was hard to listen to.

"Crazy people aren't always terrible," I said curtly.

Thalia nodded with a meaningful glance at me before saying, "But you see, she's _not_ crazy."

A girl's mean laughter interrupted us. "Oh, I think someone suicidal is considered crazy… isn't that right, Annabeth?"

Thalia fiercely snapped, "No one asked out!"

"Like I care?" Shelly shook her head. "_Tsk, tsk._ Thalia, do you really want me to make you cry again? I promise you I can. Let's show all these people your soft side." Instantly, Annabeth and I blocked Shelly, knowing that Thalia would literally attack the brunette.

Shelly turned to Annabeth and said, "But if I make you cry, she might kill herself. Not that anyone would miss her very much…"

I don't think I'd ever seen anyone so angry in my life. "I will kill you." And surprisingly enough, it wasn't Thalia who said that. It was Annabeth.

"You've messed with everyone in this school, and you know what? _No one actually likes you._ The people you call your friends? They're just the ones who are the most scared of you. They're _scared_ of you because _you_ are a _monster._" Annabeth laughed so coldly, she brought a new meaning to the word cynicism. "So what, maybe I'm crazy. At least I'm still human."

And with that, Annabeth walked away. Thalia and I stormed after her. It was so dramatic, I felt like someone in a book. (Me, a book character. Can you imagine it?)

Shelly screamed at our backs, "You thought the _rumors_ were bad! Oh, just wait. It gets much, much worse." I glanced back to see a demented expression on her face, and I had the startling revelation that Shelly was the crazy one.

After about an hour so, our little group was normal. Grover and Nico arrived to school, and they helped distract us. Everything was going good… until we saw Shelly with a look of mock concern painted on her face.

But it wasn't Shelly that worried me. It was the man in wheelchair rolling along next to her. He reached out and put a hand on Annabeth. Annabeth tried to shake him off, but he held on.

"Annabeth," His eyes shone with kindness. Annabeth looked away. "I'm Mr. Brunner. Shelly was kind enough to inform me about you…" He paused as though he were walking on eggshells and had to be certain he made the proper selection in the words he would continue to tell Annabeth. "She told me about your struggles. So as the school's guidance counselor, I will do everything I can to help you."

Her eyes widened in horror. "But… I don't need help!"

Mr. Brunner nodded as though this were a typical response. "Perhaps."

Now, in a small school like ours where _nothing_ that bad happened, getting sent to the school guidance counselor was not good. That usually meant you did something so bad, you were worthy of going to jail, or you really were crazy. Flat out insane, someone who belongs in an asylum. And in our school, if you were either of those things, you got treated so badly, the kids withdrew from a school within weeks.

But I know that wasn't why Annabeth was freaking out. The first thing a guidance counselor does when a student gets sent to their office is make a phone call. To your parents. Annabeth hated her family, hated her parents and she couldn't stand it if they would start hovering over her and tying her down.

Annabeth glowered at the man before walking next to him.

Shelly was grinning. Everyone in our group got over their shock and glared at her. Her smile faltered and she hurriedly walked to her next class.

But secretly, maybe I was a little glad Shelly called my friend out. Don't get all judgmental, now. After meeting in study hall, I realized how much Annabeth kept bottled up. Now she'd have a professional to talk to.

And if she really was suicidal… My head and heart hurt at the thought.

So I decided it was easier not to think about the girl with stormy gray eyes and blonde curly hair.

**(A/N) I'm officially out of school, so guess what? That means a lot of updates, AND a new PJO story! **


	11. Chapter 11

**(A/N) Hey guys **** So I'm hoping to finish this story by the end of summer, and I think I can do it! (Bob the builder, can we fix it? Bob the builder, yes we can!) Any who… let's just get to the story.**

**Annabeth POV**

My head was still reeling as Mr. Brunner began to lead me off to his office. He didn't say anything, but somehow, that managed to make me feel guilty. So I turned to him and informed, "You know, _Shelly_ is the one with issues."

There was a long pause before Mr. Brunner gently reprimanded, "Shelly has been in my office before, and of her own accord. But that's not the point, everyone has their own problems to work out. It's not my place to judge." With that, he turned a pointed stare on me. I wanted to go hide. There was something about this man that made me ashamed of the person I was.

I turned hard eyes on him to appraise him. His beard was trimmed neatly and his curly brown hair was polished as well. There was a twinkly in his eyes, though the set of his mouth indicated a serious nature.

"You know what? I'll go with you. If nothing else, at least you'll stop bothering me," I laughed nervously. I might not have wanted to talk to him, but I'm smart enough to realize when there's no point in arguing because I would only lose.

I walked and he rolled along for awhile until I saw a room with a poster on it. The sign read "Mr. Brunner's Office" with lots of smiley faces on it. He smiled when he saw it before telling me, "My daughter made that for me."

My step faltered. For some reason, it was surprising that he'd share that with me. Maybe he was trying to prove that we could be open with each other, that we were friends of a sort.

We moved inside and made ourselves comfortable. The room was a serene cerulean color that could easily turn violent and accusing. "Now, Annabeth. Is there anything wrong? Anything particularly stressful in your life?"

"No." Lie number one. My mouth curled up in awry smile. How many false statements would pass my lips in this room.

Mr. Brunner said nothing. Something in his eyes suggested that he knew I was lying. He stared at me, and my mouth dried. I couldn't help but feel nervous. "While you think about what you need to talk about," He stopped talking as though he thought I'd interrupt him. When he saw I wasn't, he continued, "I'll call your parents."

Now _that_ I had to protest to. "No! You… you can't." I told him desperately, not bothering to conceal the pleading notes in my voice.

He lifted an eyebrow and asked, "Why not?"

"They just can't know I was here."

"Why not?" He questioned me again. But it wasn't sharp, like he was interrogating me. It was gentle and prompting.

"I… we don't really get along," I whispered. The memories came rushing back, and I watched the scene unfold.

* * *

_"No, you need to take her. I can't deal with her anymore, you're never around, we're about to divorce. Please, just take her," My father was pleading._

_I was watching the scene behind the cracked door of my bedroom. I pressed my eye closer, thinking that if I was nearer I could see the thoughts of my father too. My mother was a beautiful woman, with dark hair and gray eyes that flashed and swirled. And just then, they were stormier than ever as she snapped, "I told you. It's too dangerous."_

_"I love her, and I can't stand to know that she's in danger, "My mom told the man softly. "She's your child too."_

_"But I don't want her! I never wanted her!"_

_I gasped. I backed away, flopping down on my bed. I grabbed my teddy bear and whispered, "Mommy must not love me either. Or she'd fight harder, she'd take me with her! Daddy doesn't want me."_

_I sniffled as tears started to pour out of my eyes. My seven year old self had been smarter than most, and I knew what it was like to be uncared for. "But you love me, right, Teddy? And Luke and Thalia love me."_

_But even to a child as young as I was, that wasn't enough. It would never be enough, because nothing can replace the love a parent gives to their child._

* * *

I hadn't realized it, but I was gripping the table violently. "They don't want me. They hate me; I was just some stupid mistake. They try to tell me they love me, but they don't." My voice took on that same coldness that it always did when discussing the people who brought me into this world.

"Are you sure that's true, dear?" My. Brunner asked kindly.

I nodded. "Of course. My dad said it himself. And my mom is never around; they divorced so now I'm stuck with my step mom. I hate her."

Mr. Brunner seemed to think this over. "What did you do then?"

I smiled sadly as more nostalgia washed over me.

* * *

_"Luke!" I beamed, running to hug my hero. I was only ten years old, and he was my very best friend. "Thalia!" I said, turning to the other person that I cared about._

_Luke ruffled my blonde curls, "Hey, Kiddo."_

_I kept smiling as we ran off to go to the park. Luke and Thalia were staring at each other, secret looks passing between them as they communicated without words. My heart hurt a bit and the smile fell off my face._

_No one loved me like that. And Luke never would, so who else was there?_

_And at ten years old, I began to experience heart ache._

* * *

"I had friends. Luke and Thalia. But even they had each other. I was still alone, in a way." I whispered, knowing that I didn't have to tell him anything.

Mr. Brunner nodded sympathetically. "Now, when Luke… left, how were you affected?"

I scoffed at him angrily. "How was I affected? How was I _affected?_ My heart was ripped out of my body, and I didn't think I'd ever heal." My laughter was almost maniacal, and at that instant I can see where people would call me crazy. I almost believed it myself.

"Is that why you…?"

I glared at him. I could see he wasn't accusatory, just wondering. Wondering and concerned. I was about to explain when there was a sharp tap on the door.

When the guest walked in the door, my jaw dropped a little. When I got over my shock I demanded, "Percy? What are you doing here?"

**(A/N) Sorry if this is a little shorter than it usually is. I should update in about a week, maybe a little sooner since I left you guys hanging :P**


	12. Chapter 12

**(A/N) I'm gonna make an attempt to update this once a week, let's see if I can do it! By the way, this chapter is kind of filler. **

**Percy POV  
**

I couldn't tell if she was really mad or really happy I came to rescue her. We all decided I would be the best person to save Annabeth, so there I was, awkwardly standing there. "I don't need you to come and get me like some dog. I was doing just fine before you showed up," She frostily stated, turning her back away from me. I decided she was really angry.

Maybe she was embarrassed, or maybe I was right and all this talking was good for her and her mental health. "Okay, well, I'm sure Mr. Brunner understands that we both have to get to class."

The man was rubbing his beard, only he managed to pull it off without looking like some creepy pedophile. "Really? Because if I remember correctly, your mother signed you up to be here in this office months ago and you only showed up once."

I blinked in surprise. I remembered now, but I thought he'd forgotten about me. I'd certainly forgotten about what little time I spent in his office.

Mr. Brunner turned a sympathetic and kind gaze to Annabeth. "I'm not going to force you to stay, but if you leave, you have to understand that I will need to notify your parents about this. What Shelly pointed to my attention about you isn't something you can just blow off, for _your_ sake. It's either you stay here and they never find out, or I tell them so they can get you some counseling outside the school."

Some understanding was sketched on his face, and Annabeth frowned. "They can't know… Percy, I have to stay." Annabeth told me, not looking at me, but instead focusing her grey eyes on Mr. Brunner. "Maybe you should too."

She could stay if she wanted, but that didn't mean I had to. Guys don't usually like to talk about their feelings, especially not with people we don't know. I shook my head and stated, "I'm going back to class, and you can catch up later."

The blonde curls on Annabeth's head bounced as she swiveled her head to face me. "Oh no. You're part of what got me into this mess!"

"What are you talking about?" I shot back, equally angry and defiant. "I'm the only reason you're _alive_! Shelly's the reason you're here!" I plunked down in a chair and glared at her. "You know what, I changed my mind. I'd _love_ to hear why you decided to go off on yourself!"

She opened her mouth, the stance her body was in betrayed her agitation and I had a feeling I was about to get told off. But then Mr. Brunner laughed, somewhat breaking the tension. "What it's like to be young and in love… I remember back in-"

"Excuse me?" Annabeth shrieked. "You have no idea what you're talking about!"

The man smiled at us like he knew something we didn't, which is absolutely ridiculous. I hadn't realized it, but both Annabeth and I had eased our chairs away from each other. "Aren't you supposed to be asking us questions about our lives, not making up… stuff like that?"

He shook his head, still smiling in that knowledgeable fashion. Slowly though, his facial expression sobered up and became more serious as he abruptly told us, "I think I've determined that you don't need to be in this office."

Annabeth and I looked at each other in surprise before remembering we were supposed to be mad at each other. Though I did manage to realize she was surprised, just like I was.

"Who? Me or him?" My friend asked him, stabbing the air in both her and my direction in time with her question.

"Both of you are free to go. Just watch out for each other, alright?" I glanced at Annabeth who shrugged and consented.

The two of us rose up out of our chairs and headed for the door. "Of course, you're welcome here anytime." Mr. Brunner told us as I opened the door for us to walk through.

I held the door open uncomfortably as Annabeth twisted her upper body, the tumultuous look in her always-storming eyes calming a bit as she whispered, "Thank you for listening."

She bit her lip before following me out the door. "He's a nice man. I trust him, strangely enough. Though I'm surprised he let us leave after you completely threw me under the bus. You're just lucky he didn't keep us there longer or call my parents or I would have never talked to you again." Annabeth scowled before asking, "Do you seriously still think I was trying to kill myself? Even if you do, why did you have to say it front of him?"

"You aren't doing a very good job of convincing me otherwise." I commented, sneaking a glance at her slightly miffed facial expression before walking into the classroom.

A few minutes into class, a small piece of folded-up notebook paper was lying on my desk. I opened up the sheet of paper. In Annabeth's neat print was written, _I really wasn't trying to. I just wanted to unwind a little bit and then it started to storm. No biggie._

_If it wasn't such a big deal, why did it take you such a long time to reach this conclusion, huh, Wise Girl?_ I scribbled back, noticing that my chicken scratch was so much less orderly looking than Annabeth's own handwriting.

As I tossed the piece of paper at her head, she rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath, "Couldn't he have put it on my desk like a normal person?"

"Ms. Chase, who are you talking to?"

Her cheeks flushed as she replied, "Uh, just myself."

The teacher we had was usually pretty cool, but I had my suspicions that maybe all the teachers were supposed to be keeping an eye on Annabeth. She slowly rotated to face the blackboard before picking up a piece of chalk and continuing diagramming some stupid sentence about how "Sally skipped along playfully without a care in the world."

After awhile, the paper hit my arm and I rolled my eyes and mocked, "Couldn't she have put it on my desk like a normal person?" I unfolded the note.

_I don't know, I just wanted to fully analyze the situation as best I can. People are talking about me now, ugh. Stupid high school drama :(_

Smirking, I kept one eye on Ms. Flint while writing back, _It's not like they matter anyway. Never thought you were one to care about what other people thought._ I placed the note on my desk and flicked it into her hair.

She set her jaw and tossed me a look before moving on to read the paper. She wrote something down and flung it back to me. _I don't. You know what I mean._

_Annabeth, no one knows what you mean…_

The blonde made a face at me and carefully wrote down something on the paper before tossing back, _You're so obnoxious._

I didn't write anything back, just grinned at her and waited for the class to end. It was hard to believe we had been at odds just twenty minutes earlier, but then again, that was usually the way it was with Annabeth and me.

Somehow though, Mr. Brunner's words found their way back to me. Had he actually implied that I loved Annabeth? We were best friends, and that was it. After all, he was just a guidance counselor, what did he know about two people being in love?

But something told me maybe he was right. So I shoved that little voice behind me and screamed at it to shut up.

**(A/N) I will try to update next Friday or so, but we'll see if I actually do.**


	13. Chapter 13

**(A/N) Yeah… I didn't update when I said I would. Sorry, guys! By the way, Happy 4****th**** of July!**

**Annabeth POV  
**

"Annabeth! Get over here!" My father shouted furiously, and I grimaced. I wasn't sure what I'd done to anger him so much, and I didn't really want to find out. So instead of obeying him, I ignored him and cranked up the volume on my iPod, letting lyrics wash over me and drown out his voice.

His screaming was coming through the earbuds, though it was much more muffled. I set my music on full blast, and finally, I couldn't hear a thing except my favorite song. I stared gloomily out the window, not wanting to budge from this spot.

It was raining again, and sure enough, thoughts of Luke entered my mind. Only this time, it wasn't just thoughts of Luke, but of waves tugging me under the water, depriving me of sweet oxygen and life. I shuddered, and was about to draw the curtains when the sharp rapping on my door began.

I couldn't hear it, my music was too loud, but I could feel the vibrations. I didn't bother to let him in, knowing that he'd just barge in anyway. _Three…two… one_. I counted mentally, and sure enough, he started unlocking my door before flinging it open and walking in.

Obviously, he wasn't invited. So I didn't say a quiet "hello", I just ignored him. For a moment, neither of us said anything and I realized he wanted me to say something first. Well, I wasn't going to anything that he wanted.

Eventually, he must have gotten sick of waiting for me to be "polite" and he demanded, "Why didn't you listen to me?"

I figured I might as well figure out what he wanted, so I pulled my earbuds out and stated monotonously, "Sorry, my music is loud." Then of course he went on a long rant about how if it was an emergency I would have never known and I could have died and blah blah blah. Like I hadn't heard the same old speech before.

Just when I was starting to tune him out, he told me harshly, "Someone called today. Told me something very interesting."

Now, to be fair to my father, usually he wasn't quite so high strung. Typically, he left me alone once he finally realized that I knew he didn't want me. Then he stopped trying to pretend, except for the occasionally days where he'd lie and tell me he loved me and I should let him in. Maybe I should, but I just couldn't figure him out.

"And what's that they said?" I asked, placing a mask of boredom on, trying to conceal my dread.

He coughed and tried to sound gentle. "Why don't you tell me? I'm sure you know what I'm talking about."

I looked up at my father and scowled at the love plastered over his usually passive features. He was too confusing, some days he would be genuinely concerned and on others he wouldn't care about me at all.

But maybe that was my fault. Maybe when I rejected him time and time again, he just got sick of it and ignored me, hoping I could come around, with only the occasional reminder that he did, indeed, care.

I shook my head, both at him and at the thoughts floating around inside my head. My dad didn't care. So I lifted my chin defiantly and lied, "I haven't a clue what you mean."

"A girl, what was her name?" He scratched his head before tossing a few names out, "Kelly? Nelly? Shelly! Yes, her name was Shelly!" He smiled, looking accomplished before looking at me sternly. "She told me that you've been seeing the guidance counselor for suicidal behavior!"

I didn't say anything, just ignored him. I picked up the wires from my iPod and was about to turn it on again when he took me by my shoulders.

He shook me hard, and for the first time, I was frightened of that man. I didn't like him, but he never gave me reason to be afraid of him, until that moment. The look in his eyes was so full of fury that I flinched. He let go of me, something like sheepish apologies swimming in his gaze.

Flatly, I told him, "We aren't kids. We aren't playing house. You aren't supposed to act so childish and pretend to be a good daddy that actually cares because you don't."

"I've always cared! I was panicked, when your mother was about to leave. I'm sorry you had to hear that, but I didn't mean it. Haven't you ever done something in a moment of recklessness that—"

"You're lying!" I hollered, covering my ears like a kid. "Stop it! Just go away, and don't talk to me!"

That was when I left. When I ran out the door, I already knew where my feet would take me. I had to visit the beach and hope that it would bring me some kind of closure. Only this time, I wasn't going swimming.

I arrived at the beach in record time and gazed out at the scene splayed in front of me. The waves were so much calmer than last time, despite the rain falling steadily. Water lapped at the shore hungrily, and the ripples the raindrops created when hitting the water were beautifully synchronized.

Staring out at the water, it was easy to let myself become hypnotized by the steady rhythm of both the water falling and the water trying to pull me under. I kept back from the shore, a good twenty feet away. "Why am I out here?" I asked out loud, tilting my head up to the sky.

Burying my head in my lap, I wondered why getting cold and wet was supposed to help me. I could have been at home, dry and warm. So what led me here, of all places?

When you almost die, you're supposed to have a startling revelation about yourself. And I hadn't had that yet, so maybe I thought coming here would help spur that realization that would turn my life around.

So I started to think hard about who I was, and I found that I didn't really know who I was. All I knew was that I lost myself a long, _long_ time ago and I didn't know how I find the old Annabeth.

"I just want to…" I started, but I didn't know what I wanted.

Tears sprang up in my eyes, but I blinked them away rapidly. I wasn't going to cry because I had no reason to, everything was relatively fine. Sure, I fought with my dad a lot, but so did a lot of kids. Sure, my friend committed suicide, but everyone else moved on except for me.

Eventually, I finished, "I just want to be _happy._"

Because I realized then that I wasn't happy. And I knew why.

I wasn't happy because I wouldn't let myself be happy. I complained about my life all the time, but I was never proactive and I never tried to fix anything in my life. Maybe I just wanted to be miserable because I wasn't sure how to react to joy.

But deep down, I knew that I should be happy. I expected everything in life to be bad, so it was. I'd always been told by my mother that life wasn't terrible by the events that happen, but the way you react to the tragedies. Everyone goes through their own struggles, and I had to re-evaluate mine.

Once again, I thought of the person I used to be; the person I was supposed to still be. The old Annabeth was a cheerful kid, full of peppy optimism. And I'd lost that, first when my parents separated, then a second time when Luke became out of reach. The two things that were supposed to be permanent and surely bring me happiness didn't last.

Everything was supposed to be permanent, but for me, _nothing ever was._

So I gave up. I gave up on trying to find happiness because I thought I wouldn't be able to ever attain it, so why get my hopes up?

However, I made a promise to myself; that I'd try to change that because I really could be happy.

"And why aren't you happy, Wise Girl?"

And Percy was one of the reasons why.

**(A/N) This chapter was really difficult for me to write… the part about Annabeth arguing with her dad was easy enough, but the beach part was harder. Sorry if it didn't turn out that great :/**


	14. Chapter 14

**(A/N) Hello :) I wanted to make something clear from the last chapter: the last sentence was referring to the fact that Annabeth could be happy because Percy was in her life ;)**

**Percy POV**

"And why aren't you happy, Wise Girl?" I asked before sitting down next to her. She tilted her head up to look at me, and she frowned, and that was when I knew she hadn't planned on anyone interrupting her thoughts.

She didn't say anything, and that was fine by me. She didn't have to say anything because I knew that if I sat there long enough, she'd eventually say something. Annabeth was one of those people who didn't like to leave things unfinished, and a dangling question definitely bugged her.

We sat there quietly, the waves growing steadily closer. I could see that was making Annabeth slightly uncomfortable, but she looked at me and relaxed a bit. And there was something in her eyes, something that knew I'd keep her safe. But it was more of a "you better not let me die or I swear I will haunt you forever" instead of "Percy's just so awesome he'll protect me with his life" kind of thing.

Annabeth was scowling deeply out at the water, and I wondered if the question I asked was bugging her. Eventually, I was granted an answer. "I'm not really sure. I guess I feel like…" She bit her lip, and she turned her gloomy grey eyes on me. I lifted my eyebrows and made a gesture with my hand that indicated she should go on.

"I feel like if I let myself be happy, whatever is making me happy will just go away soon." She confessed quietly, probing my gaze for something.

It was weird, the way she was looking at me like she was searching for some sort of answer. But I wasn't sure what she wanted me to say. "What do you mean?"

She smiled sadly. "I like architecture."

I snorted. "You're telling me. You don't even read normal books, you only—" I saw the threat in her glare, so I calmly just closed my mouth instead of finishing my little jab at her.

"Building things is permanent. When you make a structure right, it can last for an eternity. Just look at all of the famous structures still standing after thousands of years. I want to build something to last an eternity." She was looking at me again, this time with some kind of expectation I was supposed to meet.

But to be honest, I didn't get it. One thing I didn't like about Annabeth: she always seemed to speak in riddles because the cold, hard truth was too hard for her to talk about. So unfortunately, I sounded like a real idiot when I asked, "What are you talking about? What does that have to do with anything?"

She frowned, and I assumed I didn't meet that expectation. "Nothing in my life is ever permanent, so I want to build something that can last."

"Nothing is ever permanent?" I couldn't help but feel a bit confused. Everything in her life seemed to be pretty sturdy because she _made_ it sturdy. She was the one with a back-up plan for the back-up plan.

Annabeth sighed. "Yeah, nothing is ever permanent. My mom… she left me when I was just a kid because she didn't want me. She made me happy, and she didn't last.

Luke made me happy. And he killed himself. Nothing ever lasts!" She finished loudly, banged her fist against the sand, her hand unclenching and clenching again.

"Sometimes you have to create your own happiness. You can't just expect something to happen to make you happy, you have to _find_ it. Real happiness comes with hard work, not something that just smacks you on the head." I told her, and I was amazed at how… wise I sounded. Like Yoda or something.

However, Annabeth is a lot wiser than me. "That's why I want to build something. Something that will never crumble."

She wasn't telling me the whole truth. There was something she was leaving out, and I was going to find out what it was. "And? There's more to it than that."

"Maybe I'm not _supposed_ to be happy!" She shouted, but I don't think she was yelling at me. I think she was just confused.

And not for the first time, I wondered why her life was so hard. I could see what she was saying about nothing lasting. Having a parent leave you sucks, and then having someone you love kill himself… well, I knew what that was like. "Everyone deserves to be happy."

"Yeah, I never said I didn't deserve it. But maybe I'm not meant to be happy."

Angrily, I grabbed her shoulders. "What is wrong with you?" I snapped, though being careful not to hurt her. "If you think like that, of course you'll never be happy!" I wanted her to be happy. I really, really did.

There was a long pause, when I was strangely close to her. I wondered why she was looking at me like that, eyes wide. Maybe because I rarely yelled at my friends, or maybe something else. "You're right," she finally whispered.

I started to let go of her, when she abruptly hugged me. "You're… a good friend." She told me when I snaked my arm around her slim waist. I tried not to notice the way her head rested under my neck perfectly, or that I could feel her heartbeat through my shirt.

It was different when we let go of each other. Things were both more awkward and more comfortable at the same time. "I need to go. My dad is probably having a fit," Annabeth told me. "And no, Percy, you don't have to walk me home," She rolled her eyes.

"It's a guy's place to ask," I said, shrugging my shoulder.

She punched me on the arm. "I can take care of myself."

I rubbed my arm lightly and muttered, "Yeah, I noticed. By the way…" I added in a more serious tone. "Just try, okay?"

"Try what? Strawberry ice cream with ketchup? I already told you, Percy, that is disgusting and I refuse to put that in my mouth!"

I shook my head, though I smiled in amusement at the disgusted look on her face. "You should try that too, even though that's not what I was talking about. Try to be happy."

"Fine, fine." She said carelessly, though I could tell she meant it. "Bye, Percy."

I waved and we turned to go our separate ways.

**(A/N) Okay! That's that! Sorry if I disappointed anyone with the amount of Percabeth ;)**

**Oh yeah, and someone so kindly told me it is NOT archaeology, but architecture... I knew when I was typing that it didn't sound quite right :P  
**


	15. Chapter 15

**(A/N) Wow. It's been a LONG time since I've updated this story... I'm SO SO SO sorry, I've had awful block on this, and it probably won't be very good, seeing as this is filler before it finally starts to get a little twisty again. Gr.  
**

**Percy POV**

When I got home, I was not expecting to be ambushed. Yes, that's right, I was ambushed. By my best friends. Who might not be my best friends anymore, I might demote them to "playful pals" or something else.

"Where were you? I thought I was gonna have separation anxiety!" And no, that was not my mom, it was Grover who was hugging me.

I carefully attempted to disentangle myself from his body while Nico rolled his eyes and muttered, "I think you're scaring him." I nodded my head at Nico who chuckled and tugged Grover away.

Grover sniffed. "Sorry, I just feel like it's been forever since we last hung out at your house!"

I eyed him oddly. "Why are you guys even here?"

"Well," Nice started, silencing Grover with a look as he started to babble incoherently, "Thalia told us to drop by and… have a chat with you."

I snorted. "What, so now you do whatever Thalia tells you to?"

Nice stared at me incredulously. "Do you _want_ us to die? Of course we're going to do what Thalia asks!"

I debated arguing, but then I realized he was very right. The image of Thalia punching Nico in the gut repeatedly entered my mind and I shuddered. "So why does she want you to talk to me?"

Grover and Nico both exchanged a look and slowly, Grover said, "Thalia is having a talk with Annabeth right now. About you."

For a second I was surprised and I blinked, wondering if I'd heard right. Then I figured of course I heard right, I scored perfectly on the hearing portion of my sports' physical. "Why would they be having a talk about me?"

Nice rolled his eyes. "They're _girls_. Why do they do half of what they do?"

The words were kind of directed at Grover, the one of us who was most in touch with his feminine side. He bit down on his lip before saying, "Well, my guess is that she likes you."

There was the most awkward type of pause ever before I finally asked, "Are you guys _ever_ going to give this up?"

"_Dude," _Nico started, to indicate he was serious. "You saved her life. Of course she likes you."

Shaking my head, I told him, "That isn't true. She's hung up on that other guy... Luke, right?"

"She loved Luke, but he's _dead_ now. Take it from someone who knows, eventually, you move on," Nico muttered darkly.

But that was just enough proof for me to argue back. I could see it on his face that he really hadn't moved on, and that he still missed Bianca every day. "You aren't over it."

"He'll never be over it," Grover popped in. "But he's replaced her. Well, not _replaced_ replaced, just replaced as in, he found someone to take her place." He frowned before crying, "This isn't coming out right!"

Nico shrugged his shoulders, looking rather indifferent. "I think we get it, Grover. But we aren't talking about me, now are we?" He shot a pointed look at me, and I lifted my hands.

"I'm more than willing to change the subject."

Nico snickered. "Too bad. Look, if she likes you, and you like her, then why don't you just ask her out already?"

I got up. I didn't look at them again, afraid my temper might kick in and I'd start yelling (or punching) them. I walked to the door and slammed it shut before running out of my house.

Maybe she was over Luke, but maybe I wasn't over Rachel, because there was something telling me it just wasn't right. Asking her out just wasn't _right_.

Perhaps it was because it was Annabeth, someone who was intimidating. Or it could have been that I just didn't feel like dating anyone. It could have been anything, and I certainly had no idea what it was.

But I was about to find out.

**(A/N) OK, I know that this is really short. Please don't kill me. I promise, _promise_ the next chapter will make up for it because I intend for it to be quite long.**

**Reviews are loved, but not required nor expected for this chapter :P  
**


	16. Chapter 16

**(A/N) Thank you for the encouragement everyone :) I'm going to admit that I kind of needed it, and I hope this was worth the wait!**

**Annabeth POV**

The water was everywhere, engulfing me and pulling me below the surface. I wanted so badly to scream out in terror, but I couldn't or the water would fill my mouth . And besides, I wasn't much for screaming like some damsel in distress.

I kicked my legs, fervently hoping that the shore wasn't too far off, or I might not make it. I threw my arms into the effort as well, rowing my way to safety. The water was choppy, and it wasn't safe for anyone to be out on the water swimming, so why had I gone out there again? Wasn't I so much more logical and _smart_ than that?

Thunder crashed and lightning lit the sky, making the perfect background for my death. This was it, the final moment of my life. The thought made my giddy and scared all at once, when I heard the shout.

"Annabeth!"

The voice made its way into my brain, like it wasn't already imprinted into my very essence. I tried to turn and reach the shout, but my head was only pulled under the surface as the waves lapped hungrily at me, determined to make these minutes my last. The person shouted my name again, once more shooting thrills down my spine.

I tried again to reply back, but was only rewarded with a mouthful of the foul-tasting water. I coughed, trying to get it out of my lungs before I began choking. I couldn't scream out, and I could feel my head get tugged under.

When my face reached the surface, I gasped for sweet oxygen. I was rewarded, but only for a second because I was pulled under again. What was the point in struggling, death was inevitable, something everyone faced, so why not just face it now?

Then something grabbed me. A strong arm was lifting me up, flinging me over their shoulder. They turned their head to face me, and I saw brilliant blue eyes staring back at me.

"Luke…"

* * *

My hand flew to my throat, like I was making sure I could feel myself gulping down air. _That was an awful nightmare..._ I thought grimly, sitting up in my bed. I wondered briefly whether or not it would be worth it to go back to sleep then quickly decided I should just get up.

Glancing at the clock, I realized it was quite early. About four in the morning. That was good because I'd have a good two hours to calm myself.

My heart was still pounding in a mixture of fear and exhilaration, with maybe a bit of longing and heartache thrown in the mix as well. I didn't usually dream of Luke anymore, and that one was pretty vivid.

I knew I should talk about what happened in my dream with someone, and instantly I thought of Percy. We were both good listeners when necessary, but I was certain that he wouldn't appreciate me waking him up at this hour.

Grover was the obvious next choice. Gentle and compassionate, he'd definitely be willing to hear me out. But then I'd end up with him worrying about me for the rest of the day...

I wondered if I should just keep it bottled up when I thought of Thalia. She always told me I could call her no matter what the circumstances, but she hated talking about Luke.

A few times when she thought no one was looking, I'd catch her wiping at her eyes while muttering, "Why'd you have to be so _stupid_, Luke?"

My hand moved toward my phone as I made my decision. I knew Thalia always kept her phone on, though she never told me why. "Hello?" She asked, sounding both annoyed and groggy. "Why are you calling me?"

"It's Annabeth."

"Yeah," She snorted derisively, "I figured that out, but why are you calling me?"

_Well, it sure didn't take her long to wake up..._ "I had this dream that I-" I cut myself off.

I didn't want to talk about my dream. My dreams were my own, and they were personal, nothing something I was comfortable sharing, even with Thalia. So instead I quietly asked, "Do you still think about Luke?"

There was a long pause and I was pretty sure she'd hung up. Then, in a voice that was very unlike her, she told me, "Course I do."

"Why is that?" I thought out loud.

"Because we..." She trailed off, but I knew what she was saying.

One thing Thalia and I had in common were our feelings for the blonde boy. "Because we cared about him, I guess. But it isn't fair."

"Don't you think I know that?" She snapped. "He had everything he could have ever wanted, but he killed himself. You know why I always leave my phone on? So that when people need someone to talk to, they'll dial my number and won't off themselves."

She was angry with me. Thalia wasn't telling me that so I'd sympathize with her, but so she could see how much he'd hurt her and just how much she didn't want to talk about Luke.

"Thanks," I told her, referring to the fact that she'd even listened to me for just a brief thirty seconds.

"Yeah," She replied, still sounding bitter. I knew I probably shouldn't have brought up such a touchy topic and I winced.

I wasn't sure what else to say, so I just repeated, "Thanks."

"Yeah," She told my again before there was a slight click, and I knew she'd hung up on me.

I knew how she felt. It was hard, thinking about someone you cared about so much that just left for no reason. He had us all, he had everything, just like Thalia said, but it just wasn't good enough. Why wasn't it good enough?

Why hadn't I gotten _over_ this yet?

Percy said in order to be happy, I had to believe I deserved to be happy. But there was always that part of me that thought it was my fault Luke killed himself. Maybe if I'd just paid attention to his tirades about his parents, or maybe if I reassured him just a bit more when he was worried about his grades; maybe then he'd still be on earth.

As it was though, he wasn't there. He wasn't there, and that was something I'd come to accept, but not fully understood.

But now I got it. Now it all made sense, and it made sense what I had to do next to reach the next milestone in my life.

I gathered my things and headed out the door, going out to make one final goodbye to Luke.

**(A/N) Alrighty! That's that :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**(A/N) **How** long has it been? Dang, I don't even know… I'm really sorry about the wait everyone, but I hope this is good to make up for it :)**

**Annabeth POV**

Of course it was raining. Every single bad day in my life is rainy, like in some cheesy movie. Though maybe I was just looking at it that way because it was a long walk to the cemetery and I wasn't ready to ask my dad to drive me.

That's just present a whole bunch of new problems. He'd probably think I'd developed some kind of obsession with death, especially since he still thought I was suicidal.

My feet hit the ground smoothly. I picked my head up occasionally to see where I was going, but other then that I kept my head low. Whenever I'd glance up, water would stream into my eyes and I'd feel the urge to cry which I was _not_ going to do.

Luke didn't deserve any more of my tears. So many had been wasted on him, both when he was alive and dead and it was time to simply get over it. To get over _him_.

Closure would be great. It was what I was desperately searching for, knowing that if I ever wanted to just try and be normal, I'd have to come to terms with myself and the dead boy I somehow managed to pine after. I tried not to think about how twisted that was, even to me.

Thunder roared in my ears, the sound both familiar and frightening. Last time I'd been out in a thunderstorm, I'd almost drowned. This time, there wasn't anyone with me to save me and I didn't want to have to be saved. So I started to pick up my pace.

There was the graveyard. It might have been a placebo, but it seemed like there was a bit of gray-ish black mist swirling around the area, a shroud of mourning and sadness. I walked through the bleak cloud and walked along the worn paths.

I hadn't been here in awhile. Not since the funeral, surprisingly enough. I knew that if I came here, I'd probably just get angry and feel the need to seclude myself. But I was smart enough to understand that seclusion would only push me farther away from my sanity, something I was desperate to keep in tact.

It took awhile of searching. There were so many headstone, all of them beautiful in an eerie and depressing way. I had to stop and read each one, and my heart grew heavier at every stop.

By the time I'd found Luke's headstone, the rain had stopped and a smile popped up on my face. I hadn't thought to bring flowers, but I was wearing the jacket he'd given me.

Hesitantly, I shed the article of clothing. It was dark blue, a color that had always seemed to match him perfectly. One that was so close to being familiar and loved by everyone but just out of that area due to a strange sort of black tint. The fabric was worn because it was my favorite jacket.

When it was on me, it was way too big. That was something comforting, it felt like there was already something to protect me though I knew that wasn't the case.

Would it be littering if I'd left the jacket?

I glanced around at the other graves. Some headstones even had rings or other jewelry lying on top of them, untouched by burglars. Perhaps even criminals felt a type of aversion to this place, not that I could blame them.

Carefully, I placed the Jacket around the headstone. It wrapped around it so it might not blow away, though I arranged it so the writing would still be legible.

There wasn't any change in me. Was there supposed to be?

I cleared my throat. "So, Luke."

It was a start. Unfortunately, once I started, it was must more difficult to stop. The words began trying to explode out of me (most of them oaths) so I filtered out the billions of thoughts buzzing inside of me.

"You did Thalia and me a great deal of wrong."

The words resonated throughout the landscape, and if anyone else was there they were silent and ignored my speech.

"I mean, you just had to be an idiot and kill yourself. I can't pretend to know why you would do something so stupid, but maybe you didn't want me to understand."

Boldly, I continued, "Or maybe there just wasn't anything to understand. Maybe you were just acting rash and foolish, and you didn't realize you really wouldn't come back."

He was there. I could practically _feel_ his spirit floating over the grave. He'd either be frowning or smiling, or maybe in his own twisted way he'd be doing both.

He'd always told me he loved that I spoke the truth. I was never one for lying unless it was exceedingly important, and he shook his head, saying he wished he could be that way.

But people didn't always like the truth. Sometimes, it hurt a lot more to find out what people were hiding, as almost everyone knew. It was easier to lie, and it hurt a lot less, but the question is:

Was ignorance really bliss?

Something told me that Luke would have laughed at me, in that creepy way of his, like he already knew what I was thinking. Like he'd already thought that about himself.

"But you know, I'm not here to lecture you."

He'd lift an eyebrow and motion for me to continue. So I did. "I'm here to say that I've given up. And I know that I promised I never would, but I'm just sick of trying to figure something out that has no explanation.

"Or if it did, the only person who could clarify is already gone. And that person is you."

Would he be desperate? Would he beg for me not to give up on him, that he could change? Maybe if I'd told all of this to him when he was alive, he'd start thinking about who he was hurting and make some serious changes.

Or maybe he'd just laugh and tell me it was about time I came to my senses.

He was always like that, completely unpredictable. It was something that I liked about him. It was kind of nice, knowing that he was an endless puzzle, one I'd never figure out.

Mother always told me I was wise, and Luke stretched that wisdom as far as possible. Maybe even she wouldn't have been able to understand him.

"It's not that I'm giving up because I don't care, but more because you're gone now, and I can't keep being gone with you.

"I got pretty close to dying. I was _almost_ with you, but it wasn't my time to go yet. If Percy hadn't been there, we'd be talking and watching over our friends."

Would that be in heaven or hell?

"But the thing is, I'm _not_ with you, and I can't keep trying to get there, through one way or another. I know I'm babbling, and it's not like me at all."

I paused, for dramatic effect. He wasn't really there, and he wasn't listening but.. what if he was, somehow?

"However, these are the last words I'm going to say to you. I'm not going to stop thinking about you, but I will stop wishing for something that just can't happen. I'm going to live in the present, and to do that, I've gotta bid you farewell."

I took in a deep breath and exhaled, "So good-bye."

Turning, I walked away. There was still so much more to say, but I knew it wasn't the time or place. It was time to move on.

So I just kept walking. Away from him, away from my first love.

And maybe I could walk into a new one.

**(A/N) This was a good one to write, it was pretty easy. Reviews?**


	18. Chapter 18

**(A/N) Well, I don't really know if this is a fast enough update, but I'm trying!**

**Percy POV**

It was happening again. The conversations behind closed doors, the hushed telephone calls, the absence of his parents late at night. Something bad was happening.

I guess I always knew it would only be a matter of time. Life had been relatively easy, compared with the hurdles I'd faced in the past. And since someone in charge must hate me, the pot had to be stirred.

"… He… know… not fair… dark." I strained to hear what my mom was saying to Paul. She sounded a bit aggravated, as well as upset. "He isn't… mature… _understand_… not stupid."

I backed away from the door and headed into the kitchen. I was a teenage guy, the easiest way to deal with my problems was to just eat. I grabbed the bread and mayonnaise before reaching for the ham and cheese. I slapped the stuff down on the counter and assembled the most amazing sandwich ever.

Stuffing half of it in my mouth, I started to make another one. My mom would probably scold me for eating so much, but maybe that's why I was doing it. Just to get under her skin, as punishment for leaving me out.

Finally, the door opened. Mom and Paul both walked out. Mom wiped at her tears, and I glared at Paul. I walked over to them and wrapped an arm around Mom's shoulder. "You okay?" I asked her.

She sniffled. "Sure, Percy. Nothing to worry about."

_Of course there's something to worry about, I'm not stupid!_ I wanted to shout the words in her face, but I knew she'd only get more upset. What can I say, I'm a bit of a momma's boy. "You sure?"

Mom bit her pale pink lip, shuffling from foot to foot. "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about."

"Are you guys getting divorced?"

Mom's head snapped up and she tugged away from me, only to duck under Paul's arm instead. Her eyes widened and she proclaimed, "What? No! We love each-"

"Dude, _gross_," I interrupted, holding up a hand. She was silenced, and Paul looked like he couldn't tell if he wanted to clap me on the back or scowl at me. He settled for chuckling.

Paul cleared his throat. "Erm, no. Thing is, Percy, jobs are hard to find in this economy."

Dread began to well up in my stomach. He didn't proceed, there must have been some degree of comprehension written all over my face. "Are you saying that we're…?

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," My mom murmured. "I know you really like it here and—"

Angrily, I snapped, "Where was I when this decision was being made? Being here is good for me! There's a guidance counselor that actually cares about me, there's my friends, and there's my family, _Dad's_ family. You can't just take me away from all that!"

She flinched away. Mom turned her cheek, trying to hide the tear trickling out of one of her eyes. We rarely ever fought, so when we did, neither of us was prepared for the amount of emotional turmoil that came with it.

My stomach was churning with guilt and rage. They were both battling inside me, one of them determined to come out the victor. Unfortunately, I'd always had a bad temper. "Why would you do this to me?"

"Percy, we are not out to ruin your life," Paul began. I rolled my eyes, knowing it would bug him. "Listen up, young man—"

For the third time, I broke in, "No, don't even do this."

Paul looked astonished. Ever since he and my mom got married, I'd treated him with respect. Not like my real dad, of course, but I knew he was my authority figure so I acted appropriately. But he'd made me mad, and there was no going back.

"You have a job here," I pointed out, none too harshly.

He nodded, like he'd been ready to counter this argument. "But it's just enough to pay the bills. And Sally here doesn't make much money from the candy shop."

"We don't have to be rich," I spat. "I'd rather be happy then have money. Besides, Dad still pays the child support."

My mom cast her eyes down, and Paul said calmly, "But that's only for you, not for us. Understand that we aren't trying to be selfish, just do what's best for this whole family."

I shook my head. This was crazy. Unbelievable. "How long until the move?"

They exchanged a glance. "Well, we'd been discussing this for quite some time."

"What do you mean, we've only lived here a few months!" I burst out accusingly.

Paul sighed. "Listen son—"

"I'm not your son."

"Listen, _Percy_," He corrected, looking like he was losing patience. "You knew that there was a good chance this move would be temporary."

I shrugged. "Yeah, if we weren't happy here. And I happen to be very satisfied with this location."

My mom was crying again, and my anger toward her faded. But that didn't mean I was ready to hug her and apologize quite yet. "How long?"

"Only until this weekend."

"This weekend?" I exploded. I began pacing back and forth, the ADHD kicking in. I didn't want to have this conversation.

Paul nodded. "We're going to Milwaukee."

"But that's four hours away!"

He eyed me sympathetically. "I'm sure you'll find new friends, maybe even get a girlfriend…"

I wasn't paying attention anymore. Girlfriend. Annabeth was going to _kill_ me. She would stalk me to the new town we were living in and murder me in my sleep for leaving her. Just like everyone else did.

I cussed under my breath, then thought better of it and swore louder so that they could hear me. No one corrected my use of improper language. "Where's my phone?" I asked out loud in a hushed mutter. I glanced around looking for my outdated flip phone, and when I found it, I typed in a number.

"Percy?" She asked, sounding like she might have been crying. "I was just meaning to call you."

I resisted the urge to sigh. "Yeah? Can you come over?"

"Sure," She said, with only a moment's hesitation. There was the sound of crunching leaves in the background, and I wondered what she was doing outside in the rain. I smiled wryly. Maybe the gloomy weather seemed to draw her outside rather then repelling her. "See you in a few."

She hung up the phone.

I turned to Paul and my mom. "Now I'm going to have to tell someone that's been abandoned by almost every male figure in her life that I'm going, too. Yay. Whoop-dee-freaking-doo."

My mom sniffled. "I'm sorry about Annabeth. I know how much you liked her."

"Apparently not enough for it to matter," I muttered under my breath, not even denying it.

I walked outside and waited in the rain. Not under the porch. Just out, wishing the water would somehow cleanse me. It didn't. I still carried a bothersome issue, and I was still mad at my parents.

Tapping my foot on the ground, I wondered how long she'd be. It didn't matter much, I'd wait as long as I needed to. Telling her over the phone was too cowardly. I shook out my black hair, scattering droplets around me. My t-shirt was clinging to me, jeans uncomfortable.

After awhile, a slight shadow was visible. The person came closer, footsteps sloshing on the ground. Annabeth was running, trying to get out of the rain. When she saw me she smiled, something rather unusual.

I knew that she wouldn't talk to me after this, so I figured I'd better take her in. God, she was even more beautiful then I remembered. Her blonde hair was darkened from the water, clothes clinging to her in a way that I didn't mind remembering. Her eyes matched the clouds over our head, and the grin on her face only enhanced how pretty she was.

"Hey, what's up?" Her voice was nice. Better tuck that away.

Taking in a deep breath, I barely managed to get out, "I'm moving."

**(A/N) Bit of a cliffhanger there, sorry!**


	19. Chapter 19

**(A/N) It's been forever. I know, and I'm sorry, but I'm on break now! I should be able to update more, so long as I'm not lazy. **

**Annabeth POV**

He was moving. Percy was moving. _Of course_ he was moving. But still I asked, "You're what?" My voice was horribly small, so I reinforced the words by placing my hands on my hips in indignation. "You're _what_?" I repeated.

It was a joke. Percy was a joker. He did stuff like this all the time, right? Soon he's just tell me he was messing around, and then –

"I'm moving," He said, looking miserable. It wasn't a good look for him. His head was ducked down, but his green eyes still met mine. He seemed defeated, but there was still a bit of anger residing in his voice.

I was dimly aware of a door opening and a gentle voice asking if we wanted to come inside, but I wasn't the one who addressed them. "I think we're fine," Percy muttered, treating his mother more coldly than I would've imagined. "Right?"

What would it matter, if what he was telling me was true? It would still hurt, still feel like my heart was being ripped out no matter where we were. At least the rain would disguise my tears if they did happen to fall. Gotta love nature.

"Sure," I said, turning toward the door but not adding on anything else in fear that my voice would break.

Percy's mom bit her lip. She wanted to say something more, and her eyes were red and swollen, leading me to believe that she had been crying. She slowly turned and walked inside, inching along so Percy or me could ask her to come back if we wanted. Neither of us did, apparently, and I heard a soft sob coming from behind a now closed door.

"Why are you moving?" I asked him. "Why _now_? You've been here for what, a couple of months?"

"That's what I told them," He jerked his thumb toward the door, "but they didn't listen. You have to understand that I tried to convince them otherwise!"

I wasn't going to cry. I'd just spent a good, long time shedding tears, and that was more than enough for one day, for one lifetime. Too bad there wasn't some way to close off your tear ducts. "But why?"

A mean smile formed on his lips. If moving was doing this to him, making him into some bitter person to replace the guy he once was, then he couldn't leave. He couldn't leave behind his old persona for this harsher one. "Paul says we aren't making enough money."

So that was it, then. The economy was screwing up Annabeth's life, finally . She'd always been well off, and her dad and step-mom had great jobs that they'd probably never lose. Now, the financial downfall was finally hitting her where it hurt the most.

"Oh," I muttered. "Well, I…" I wasn't sure where I was going with that, so instead I asked, "When?"

"This weekend."

"What?" I exploded. "Your parents can't just ask you to move two days before the date!"

He held up his hands, looking tired. "I know, Annabeth."

Now he was treating me like some wounded dog. Would he even miss us? Of course he would, I decided after a moment's hesitation. There was no way Percy was so cruel that when he left he wouldn't be able to think of us and wish he was here, right?

"I don't want you to go," I finally whispered, sounding like a little girl. And maybe, with my blonde curls streaming wet and gray eyes wide, I could've looked like one too. "You _can't_ go! Who will save me from downing then?"

He gripped my arm. Almost roughly, but not quite painful. His eyes burned feverishly, so intense that I was ashamed from making the weak joke. "Don't say stuff like that. You'll be fine."

"Not really," I muttered. Before he could say anything, I held up a hand. "That doesn't mean I'll be throwing myself out into the water. I really did learn my lesson, but…"

"But I'll miss you," I finished weakly. I could dimly hear thunder crackling in the distance, and there was a flash of lightning fairly close to where we were. I didn't really care though.

His eyes softened slightly, then he grew tense again. "Yeah. You too."

Part of me was hoping he'd decide to try and argue one last time. But I was the wise one out of the two of us, and if I could see it was a lost cause than certainly he could too. The thought made me sad, worse than sad. Maybe brokenhearted?

My tears might have run dry, or maybe I was in shock because I didn't cry. If I could cry over Luke but not Percy, than was I wrong? Maybe Percy and I weren't meant to be together. Maybe this was supposed to happen.

"I hope you have a nice life," I told him.

He stared at me, jaw dropping a little bit. When he closed his mouth, I was confused. I was trying to be nice, but did he not take it that way? "I'm moving four hours away," He said stiffly, "and I could have visited. But not if you don't want me to."

"I do!" I protested. "That's not what I meant!"

Maybe I wanted him to say that he couldn't have a nice life without me. That's not what he said though. "Right," He muttered. "I will visit, and hopefully I'll have a nice life." His tone was mocking toward the end and I couldn't blame him. "Hopefully you will too."

Our emotions were running high, of course. Maybe that was why we were both overreacting, both taking things the wrong way. I for one, though maybe he was leaving because I did something wrong. He just thought I wanted him gone. It was a mess.

We were a mess.

"You can't leave," I said softly.

"I have to," He replied, once again looking sad. What was wrong with us? Wasn't I supposed to be the moody one? Then his eyes snapped to me, answering my question, "No point being sad over it. It is what it is."

That was it. It was what it was. That was all there was to it. I turned. "Goodbye, Percy." I'd see him in school, but I wondered if we'd even talk. If it'd be too painful. Then I wondered if this was our final goodbye before he was gone.

After I was certain I was out of Percy's sight, I started running. I didn't know where I was running to, but it was a small town and I couldn't get lost. So I ran and ran, somehow thinking that overworking my muscles would make the pain of him leaving go away.

He was really leaving. Just like everyone else. Just like my mom, just like Luke, just like my dad tried to. He was going, and he was the one I needed most out of them all.

There was nothing I could do about it. One thing I'd always hated was feeling helpless, like something was completely beyond my control and I had to just watch it happen.

That was how I felt right then. There was nothing I could do but watch Percy go. It hurt a lot, a lot more than I could have imagined. One situation shouldn't be allowed to cause me so much pain.

I wanted him to stay. I would miss him too much, I would get too angry. Just another person gone. That was all Percy would be to me, after awhile. At least, that's what I feared.

But something told me Percy would always be more than that.

**(A/N) Gotta love some good ole' teenage angst! ;) Reviews are loved!**


	20. Chapter 20

**(A/N) I've been pretty excited to write this chapter – I know I could've been quicker in getting it out, but you know what, I tried :P**

Everyone was over at my house, getting ready for the move. We'd be gone in just the next day, and it was stressful for everyone. Thalia was hoisting more boxes than Nico, who was kind of just sitting around giving sarcastic commentary. Grover sat in the corner crying, saying it was all too emotional for him. My parents were half-supervising half-directing.

Annabeth stayed near me the whole time, but we didn't speak to each other. Earlier in the day, Grover and Nico had approached me and said something things that made me wary of being around her.

So, imagine my surprise when she actually started walking over to me.

* * *

"Hey, man," Nico greeted. I nodded my head at him. "How's Annabeth doing?"

I shrugged. "Don't know." I glanced over my shoulder, kind of expecting her to appear when she was being talked about. "She hasn't been hanging around me."

Grover sniffled. "I can't blame her! It-it must be so hard, true love being ripped apart," He waved a hand through the air as he teared up. The water pooled out of his eyes and down his face. When Nico and I looked at him oddly, he gasped, "Don't mind me! Stories like this get me every time.

Didn't we know it.

I started flipping my phone open before snapping it shut, waiting anxiously for Annabeth to text or call or something. I'd been waiting for a few days, and so far, there had been nothing. Maybe I'd leave without even saying goodbye.

"Why haven't you guys been talking?"

I sighed. I really, really hadn't wanted Nico to bring it up again. I was a man, and men didn't cry, but we did get upset. We got upset, but we still didn't really like to show it. So I tried to talk indifferently, thinking maybe they'd drop it. "She's been avoiding me."

"She's mad that you're moving."

"Really?" I responded to Grover sarcastically. "Who woulda thunk it?"

He cowered away, and I was kind of worried he'd start crying again. "It's just so sad... maybe she should talk to you before you leave. You know 'talk.' Get out all of that sexual tension."

I wasn't blushing. Just because my cheeks were getting hot did _not_ mean I was blushing. "Dude, have you been reading self-help books again?" Grover, on the other hand, turned such a bright red, 'blushing' didn't even begin to cover it.

Nico, however, only shuddered. "She's like my sister..."

While Nico was busy being horrified, I tried to slink away. "Percy? Where you going?" I scowled and turned to face the Italian boy that was really starting to get under my skin. "You need to talk to her," He informed, all business again. Before Grover could say anything, Nico pressed a hand to his head. "And I do not mean make out with her. Or anything else..." He glowered at me. "I mean talk to her in the _literal_ sense."

"I would. Kinda hard to do when she runs away when I look at her."

"I'll figure something out," Nico promised.

I nodded.

* * *

Honestly, I didn't really think Nico and Grover would follow through. Sure, they'd talk to her, but Annabeth was nothing if not stubborn, and I thought she's shoot them down as soon as they mentioned me. So when she mumbled, "Hey," she took my by surprise and I didn't know what to say.

Had she always been that pretty? There were rings under her eyes, and her gray eyes weren't flashing as usual, but she was gorgeous. Seriously, she was. She knocked most models out of the park.

"What's up?"

She eyed me warily. "Nico and Grover said you wanted to talk to me?"

"They did?"

Anger sparked. I was kind of glad to see some emotion in her, even if it was misplaced. "Well, if you want me to go, then I will!"

She meant it. With that, she ran away, leaving me wondering what just happened. I stared at her retreating figure, still dumbfounded, when a different female voice said, sounding extremely annoyed, "Go find her. Please."

Thalia was there, looking angry. When Thalia looked angry, you did what she said. Especially when she used her weird type of manners. So I sprinted after Annabeth, though if I was being honest, once I was shocked out of my stupor I didn't need much prompting.

I wasn't going to call after her, I just let my longer legs do with work. She was a good runner though, and I had to put in some effort to catch up to her, but just like I suspected, I was soon jogging alongside her.

"What was that?"

She stopped running. Her breath was coming out in short gasps, and her cheeks were tinged pink. "I was running. You were too. Pretty complicated thing to grasp, I'm sure."

I ignored the jab, knowing she was probably just hurt. Now _that_ was a weird concept to grasp. Tougher-than-nails Annabeth upset? Unheard of. But there she was, avoiding my eyes. "It's not my fault," I muttered under my breath, despite the fact that I really meant to contain that within my head.

That certainly got a reaction out of her though. Her silvery eyes were turned on me, and I couldn't read the emotion there, but it was strong. "I know. It just really sucks."

"Then why are you acting like this?" My voice was a hiss between my teeth. Girls. I'd never get them, especially not Annabeth.

This time I could identify what she was feeling, I'd seen her angry enough to recognize it on her face. "Gee, Percy, I don't know. Maybe it could be because you're abandoning me and I'm..."

"And you're what? And I'm not abandon-"

You know, my mom made me watch a chick flick once, after I'd sneaked out to be with Rachel. She said that forcing me to watch it would certainly take a blow to my manly pride, which it did. I distinctly remembered one scene where a bunch of girls were giggling, saying that the best way to be shut up was with a kiss.

Apparently, that's the best way to be shut up for guys too.

At first, I didn't know what was happening. I mean, I liked Annabeth. I liked her a lot, and it crossed my mind that she might have liked me too. But I never thought that the day before we'd be moving, she'd pull my face down to meet hers.

I'd thought of kissing her before. It sound even cornier than the stupid movie I'd watched, but I never imagined it'd be the way it was. Her lips were impossibly soft, gentle and fierce at the same time, just like her. Her curly hair brushed along my shoulders, and somehow, she managed to slide her hands behind my neck in a perfect, seamless way.

Had she really never been kissed before? That's what she'd told me once, but I couldn't believe that.

When she pulled away, I'm pretty sure my mouth was hanging open. She didn't flush. She didn't look embarrassed. She looked like she always did, interested and pondering. And when she said goodbye, I knew she wouldn't be stopping by the next day to see me off.

It was the worst and best way to leave someone. Ever.

**(A/N) Hm. Bring on the hate mail! Lol :P**


	21. Chapter 21

**(A/N) It's been WAY WAY WAY too long… I hope you haven't given up on me, and if you have, I completely understand. I could give you excused, but you probably don't want to hear them :P**

It was oddly quiet. Mom and Paul were bustling around, fretting about whether we had enough drinks packed in the cooler and if they had my favorite kind of chips. I almost wanted to shout that no amount of snacks would make up for the move, but I decided against it.

If I wanted to sneak out and go someplace, I probably could have. It would have delayed the move, but it wasn't like I cared much. I could leave my phone at home on purpose as an excuse.

Where would I go? There was the beach, of course, but what if Annabeth was there?

She didn't want to see me. In face, I was pretty sure she'd be happy if she never saw me again. We said our goodbye, and that was it. Nothing else to it. It sucked, but what could she do? What could I do?

I could have fought harder with my parents, but that wouldn't have gotten me anywhere. It just would have made us all angry and the atmosphere of our new home would be strained and awkward. I didn't want that for them.

"Percy?" My mom called, voice echoing throughout the now-empty house.

She peeked her head around the doorway to see me standing in my room. It was completely barren, save for one picture. It was of Annabeth, wearing a Yankees ballcap, pencil sticking out of her mouth as she stared at some monument in DC.

I was still deciding if I wanted to take it with me. Stuffing it in my pocket, I left the room before my mom told me we were ready to go.

I climbed into the truck and plugged my ear buds into my iPod. The music blasted in my ears, drowning out Paul's attempts to talk to me. I pointedly ignored him and looked out the window as the town faded away.

* * *

My new room was nicer than my old one. It was larger and had a bathroom connected to it. I sat down on the empty floor, staring at the sea-green walls. I wouldn't need to paint it.

Mom and Paul did their best to make me happy. They remembered all of my complaints about previous houses we'd lived in and had carefully selected one that would cater to most of my needs. It didn't work, but I appreciated the effort.

My phone buzzed in pocket, and I fished it out. Text from Nico. Just asking how everything went, if I liked the new place. I texted back, saying it was okay, but I'd miss everyone.

It vibrated again, but I ignored it this time. I plopped down on the floor before fishing the picture out of my pocket. I stared at it. Maybe if I focused enough, she'd step out of the picture and smack me saying, "Stupid Seaweed Brain, taking me away from my architecture." Then she'd roll her eyes and go away, but I'd know she'd be back.

Needless to say, it didn't work. I tried harder, but still, nothing. I began glowering out the window, wondering if Annabeth was staring at a picture of me. Probably not. Knowing her, she'd be headed for the beach if she was bothered at all.

Did I have a beach near me? Milwaukee was on the coast of Wisconsin, if I remembered my geography correctly. Which wasn't a very sound assurance.

Still clutching my photo, I walked out the door, past Paul and Mom. They didn't say anything except a quick reminder to be back before dinner. I had a good three hours to explore the suburban part of the city we were living in.

My head was down so I wouldn't have to squint in the sunlight. I only picked up my head when someone softly said from my right, "Hey." I shoved the picture into my pocket.

My eyes found the person speaking. A girl, maybe a year younger than me with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. She smiled brightly. "Hi," I mumbled. Her smile fell. I attempted a grin of my own, and it didn't work, but at my attempt she perked up again.

She hurried over to my side. "I heard I was getting a new person in my neighborhood. You're... Percy, right? Nice parents you've got." Insert another Colgate-worthy flash of teeth.

I nodded. "Moved from a small town. 'Bout four hours away."

She whistled. "Wow. You leave anyone behind?"

"Yeah."

Her face fell. "Oh. Well, what school will you be enrolled in?"

I rattled off the name my parents had supplied me with. This time, I'd be in public school. They were probably hoping I'd make more friends to make up for the ones I'd lost. "Awesome," She chirped, "that's the school I'm in. It's always good to know someone when you're starting off in a new place, right?"

She talked a lot. "Yeah."

"Oh, by the way, my name's Melissa."

We exchanged a few more pleasantries before she finally asked, "You seemed like you were kinda just wandering around... Need help finding any place?"

I nodded. "You got a beach near here?"

She shrugged, biting down on her lip. "Kinda. It's not one for swimming and stuff, but you can walk along the shoreline."

I grinned, thinking of my own little place back in the other town. Well, I guess it was Annabeth's first, but she hadn't minded sharing with me. "Sounds great."

She bounced along. "Then let's go!" She skipped a few steps ahead of me. She was a babbler, but Melissa was nice enough. Better her to find me than some witch like Shelly.

"So, do you swim or something?"

I could feel my mood sinking again. I glanced over at her, saw her wide eyes and tried to control the darkness that was trying to capture me. "Yeah. I've always been good."

She nodded. "Yeah, you look like a swimmer. Got the body and everything." Her cheeks flushed. "Not that I was really looking, y'know. Anyway, we've got a swim team. They might let you join!"

A perfect distraction. "Cool. I'll check into it."

We moved along, her chatting idly, not really noticing that my heart wasn't quite in it. How could she have known, after all? We'd just met.

I could hear the waves rolling in softly, and I lifted my head. It was a bit more overcast now, a few gray-ish white clouds speckling the sky. It didn't hurt to look ahead, now that the sun wasn't blaring quite as intensely. "Here we are!" She said with a dramatic gesture.

I ran down after her. It was a pathetic beach, but I'd take what I could get. The waves were so peaceful, unlike the often-choppy ones at the one I was more familiar with.

When I closed my eyes, it wasn't the same like I'd been hoping. I couldn't imagine that Annabeth was there, ranting while I half-tuned her out, just enjoying the sounds of her voice. I didn't even mind when she would snort and say that I wasn't listening and she didn't know why I'd bother. Then I'd repeat what she'd said almost correctly and she'd smack me on the arm.

Only that wasn't what it was like. It was too quiet. Too happy. "You mind if I make a phone call?" I directed at Melissa. She shook her head and I withdrew my cell.

I punched in Annabeth's number even though she was already on speed-dial. It'd give me more time the think of what to say.

There were about six rings until the phone skipped to voicemail. _"Hey, it's Annabeth. Leave me a message and I'll call you back."_ She didn't sound cheerful, just neutral.

"It's Percy. Just wanted to say that I moved in okay and that... I'll try and visit as soon as I can." Absentmindedly, I grasped the picture from my pocket. "If you want. I get it if you don't. Well, I'll still visit, I just won't visit you. Separately. Well... bye, Annabeth." As an after-thought, I added, "Told you I suck at talking on the phone." I hung up.

Melissa watched in silence. She pointed at the photo. "She's the one you called?" I nodded. "Oh," She said, "she's really cute."

"Yeah, I know," I replied, not really thinking about it.

She looked like she wanted to ask something else, and I begged her with my eyes not to. She shut her mouth, looking dejected. Then she started rambling, and I let myself get lost in her senseless talking.

**(A/N) Not much happened in this chapter, but there are subtle things that are pretty important to the story because this is about as angsty as Percy is going to get throughout this whole thing.**


	22. Chapter 22

**(A/N) Gah! I'm sorry, I meant to update during the week but I finally caught the flu :/ **

My phone buzzed next to me in the sand. Grumpily, I turned myself away from my book and grappled aimlessly for my cell. I was too lazy to turn around completely. Almost... there...

Groaning, I flopped over just as it stopped vibrating. "Doesn't that just figure?" Of course it did, with my luck.

The weather was fantastic. Percy had just moved, and I was compelled to visit the beach in his memory. I wasn't sure why because that resulted in a good amount of wallowing in self-puty before I got over myself and tugged a book out of my pack and started reading.

It was interesting. My life was crumbling around me, and there was a strange amount of comfort in reading about structures built to last. Even if nothing else in my life survived, I was determined to make one thing stand tall and proud forever. It became my near-obsession, a perfect distraction.

My phone buzzed again just as I'd twisted back to read my book. "Son of a..." I started, but then trailed off when I saw the header on my phone.

_1 New VoiceMail from:_

_Percy_

His picture was displayed underneath. He was doing that weird ha;f-smile that guys did. When he sent it to me, I'd joked and told him that he looked like he was kind of in pain. He texted back that beggars couldn't be choosers with a tongue face.

Since then, I didn't have the heart to erase the picture.

I flipped my phone open and punched in my code. "You have one new voice message." The mechanical lady chimed, and I cringed away before fumbling around for a button to turn the volume down. I stood up as she spoke, "First voice message:

"It's Percy. Just wanted to say that I moved in okay and that... I'll try and visit as soon as I can." I dipped my feet in the slightly warmed water, shivering a little bit because there was still a bit of bite in the liquid lapping at my feet. So he wanted to visit us? Already?

"If you want," He hurried on. "I get it if you don't. Well, I'll still visit, I just won't visit you. Separately. Well... bye, Annabeth." I was about to snap my cell shut when he kind of chuckled, but it really sounded more like he was choking than anything. "Told you I suck at talking on the phone." I smiled a little bit and then I really did close my phone.

I stuffed it into the back pocket of my denim capris. I knew I should have probably called him back, but I didn't know what to say.

Like I didn't want him to visit. I did, of course. But if he visited, he'd just rip out my soul when he left. And if he visited every weekend, it'd be so hard every time.

It's like in all those movies where the girl's working out on the treadmill. Her good friend will dangle a pair of cute shoes or a donut in front of her face. Her friend will increase the speed on the treadmill while keeping the desired object out of the protagonists' reach.

She works hard for her prize, but then in the end, she never really gets it. She gets just one bite before her friend shrieks about how many calories are int he accursed pastry, or she'll try on the shoes and the friend goes on about how she spent her whole month's paycheck on the shoes and there's no _way_ she's keeping them.

It's just cruel. And pointless.

I'm not a stupid girl. I never have been. And I'm not going to be the one on that treadmill, the idiot who thinks they're gonna win some fabulous, hard-earned prize only to have it snatched away.

I don't like pain. In fact, I kind of hate it, like any normal human being. So why go looking for trouble? Why stare the lion in the mouth? The only thing that you get for that one dizzying moment of bravery is a half-chewed up hand that's no good.

Sighing, I pulled my phone out. I dialed the number. The first ring wasn't even finished when he picked up, which made me smile. "Annabeth?"

"No, it's your mom."

"Thought you hated those jokes," He commented, and I could practically hear how happy he was.

I fought back a laugh of my own. "I do."

Awkward pause.

"So, why are you calling?" He finally asked hesitantly. "You get my message?"

I nodded. Then I remembered he couldn't see me. "Yeah, of course." Gently, I told him, "It's not that I don't _want_ to see you."

"But?"

"But I think it's best for both of us if you give yourself some time to get used to your new home," The words hurt even as I spoke them.

There was another pause. "Yeah, okay."

I let out a sigh of relief. "Cool. Yeah, cool. Maybe you'll make some friends. You probably won't even know you're gone."

He laughed. It wasn't a very happy one. "I'm sure I'll make lots of friends. It won't be the same though." Slight pause, then he said with his head turned away from the phone, "Sorry Melissa."

A girl chirped back, "No problem!" But I could hear how hurt she was, even if Percy probably didn't.

He just got there and some poor girl already liked him. "See? You've got a new friend already. Maybe you should ask her out. She sounds nice."

"I can't believe you just said that."

I shrugged. "I'm not the jealous type." _Oh, what a fine lie that was._

"I don't believe that, either."

"Good. You don't have to." Softly, I told him, "I miss you already. Hope that you don't forget about us by the time your parents are willing to drive you back here."

He chuckled again. "They owe me visits whenever the Hades I want them."

I smiled at his pseudo-swear. "Well, they're starting out someplace new. Don't you want to give your mom time to make friends and stuff?"

"You make it sound like it's so hard for her."

Gently, I teased, "You Milwaukeeans could be crazy for all I know."

"I"m not one of them," He protested. "Again, sorry Melissa."

"None taken!" This time she giggled, which kind of made me want to scream. "Hey..." I finally asked, frowning. "Are you at a beach?"

I hadn't noticed before, but I there was the distinct sound of seagulls in the background. The water must've been pretty calm over there too. "Yeah, why?"

My throat closed up. I wanted him to be happy, but it hurt to think of him going to the beach with another girl. Was that what he always did? Put on the charm and told her by the waves how special she was to him?

Was that what he did to me?

No. I was being stupid. "Hey, I think I'm gonna go." My voice sounded distant.

"Oh." He sounded disappointed. "Okay. Well... bye?"

"Yeah... bye," I whispered, hanging up the phone.

I had to go because I'd just realized something. I'd just realized why my heart twisted at the thought of him holding hands with bubbly Melissa at the beach.

I was in love with Percy, and I didn't even notice until it was too late.

**(A/N) Well, I hope you guys enjoyed the final chapter of this story. Ha, just kidding, of course ;P Reviews, please?**


	23. Chapter 23

**(A/N) You all have the right to shoot me. I know, I'm a terrible person for not updating…**

School was duller without Percy. There was no more skipping study hall, no more gossip from Shelly (who actually seemed sympathetic), and all of my friends treated me like I was fragile. Which really made me mad because if there was one thing I wasn't, it was fragile. Upset? Okay, I could admit it. But delicate? No way.

Thalia was always eager to greet me, and maybe it was because she was worried I'd kill myself and Percy wouldn't be there to stop it from happening. The whole thing was so frustrating I wanted to scream at them, let it all out. But I knew it wouldn't help anything, so I kept things bottled up, not able to vent to the one person who'd actually get it, the one person who got me and still cared.

Stupid Percy. Stupid Seaweed Brain. Stupid feelings. Stupid life.

Groaning as the rain started to fall from the sky, I ran quicker to get inside the school. I'd worn a dark green shirt, which was good because I didn't want anything turning see-through. Once I was under the shelter outside the building, some of the tension went out of me and I walked slower when a call got my attention. "Hey, Annabeth!"

Turning, I saw Grover running toward me, his gait slightly awkward. He wasn't the most coordinated person in the world. "Hey," I replied, slowing even more so he could catch up to me. "What's up?"

"Nothing. You think they're serving enchiladas for lunch today?"

This was one of Grover's staple ways to start a conversation. Every single time I'd have to laugh, and today was no exception. "I have no idea."

His face fell, like always. "Oh dear. Maybe Thalia will know…"

"Maybe."

We walked inside the school together, chatting about everything except Percy. That was the one thing we never talked about. "Thalia, are they serving enchiladas today?"

Thalia didn't have as much patience as me. "I don't know, idiot," She grumbled, flicking a strand of hair out of her make-up ringed eyes. "Why do you always ask?"

"Well, Annabeth never knows."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "And she's way smarter than me, so if she didn't know why would I?"

"I don't know," Grover replied with a shrug of his thin shoulders.

I shook my head in amusement, stopping at my locker which was conveniently next to Thalia. With a good good-bye, Grover headed off further down the hallway. 27-19-49. I spun the lock on my locker deftly before opening it, watching my cell phone fall out. I'd left it at school overnight.

With a quick glance, I noticed no teachers and turned my phone on, praying there was still some charge in it. I had two out of four bars, I noted with satisfaction as it buzzed to life. I waited patiently to see if anything would pop up when sure enough, something flashed on the screen.

_You have one new voice message. Press one to dial voice mail._

Sighing, I punched the number and entered my password.

"Hey, Annabeth," My pulse quickened when I recognized Percy's voice. I hadn't talked to him in over two weeks since I told him not to call me, and I was both annoyed and happy that he hadn't listened. I was probably more irritated. "Just thought you might wanna know I made the swim team. Moving on, you know. Tell Thalia and Grover for me, will you? Oh, and Nico."

_No new messages. To erase your messages, press 5. To erase this message, press 2. For more options, press 9. To end the call, press end._

I always hated those stupid voicemails. Obviously I wasn't going to press the enter button to end the call. I closed my phone and turned to my right. "Percy made his school's swim team. I think he's on it with this girl called Melissa." I recognized her voice in the background while he dialed.

"Oh," Thalia said cautiously. "That's… great?"

"Yeah, it's really great," I responded, sounding overly enthusiastic. "I mean, he's doing so well in his new town without us, it's just kind of super!"

Super? Who said super? I cringed as Thalia looked like she wanted to slap me like I was a broken wind-up toy. Maybe that's what I was, like on that depression commercial.

"No, it's not really that 'super'," Thalia said, grimacing as she said the word. "What's with the cheerleader-on-coffee voice anyway? You sounded… weird."

I shrugged. "I don't know." My voice was normal, thank gods.

"Didn't he say he was gonna visit a few weekends ago? How come he never did?" Her voice was suspicious, and the eyes that stared at me were narrowed.

Nervously, I glanced away. "I… might have asked him not to come?"

"You _what?_" She placed fingers on my chin and made me look at her. She was giving me her best _I-will-kill-you-and-enjoy-it_ glare. "Why?"

Shrugging, I aimed for nonchalance. "I don't know. I just thought he'd be busy, which he obviously is. With Melissa. And swimming."

"Oh, no, Annabeth. You aren't allowed to be jealous of another girl when _you're_ the one who shoved him into her arms," She pointed a finger at me, and I noticed in surprise that it was quivering in anger. "Don't you get that it's not all about you? You could have made it work but you didn't, and now you're keeping the rest of us away from him because you need to grow up? What kind of a person does that?"

Astonished, I backed away. Thalia never talked to me like that. She talked to other people like that in my defense. I could feel tears burning up because now my best friend was mad at me which was just another thing to add to my growing list of crappy things to deal with. I hook my hair to guard my face as I bent to grab my stuff then hurried away, ignoring her calling after me.

I ran for the bathroom and headed for a stall and slammed it shut. The bell rang for my first period class, but I didn't care. Just study hall that I'd apparently be ditching just like old times.

I could feel tears fall from my eyes, and I noted how good it felt. I was never much of a crier, but all the stuff that had happened to me over the last few weeks gave me plenty of reasons to. I hadn't cried when Percy left, and I'd thought I wasn't going to. Apparently, I thought wrong.

I'd wondered if it was wrong that I'd cried over Luke, but now I knew that I'd loved Percy so much more so I tried harder not to cry.

"Annabeth?"

"Go away," My voice came out surprisingly steady. "I mean it, Thalia, get out."

"No."

I watched a black head pop under the stall door and I gasped in surprise as she crawled under the gap. It was such a Thalia thing to do. "What are you doing?"

"Comforting my best friend."

"You just yelled at me!"

"And I made you cry, so I'm sorry," She stated this in an off-hand way, but I knew she meant it.

Shrugging, I told her, "It wasn't you. Just… crap going on."

"If you love him why are you wasting time on tears?"

The question was one I'd been avoiding. "I don't know. Great question, actually."

I knew the answer, though it wasn't one I felt like sharing. Because I loved him, I wouldn't be with him. It would suck so much more if things didn't work out, so I just avoided him. I guess the move gave me good reason to, but he hurt me already, and I didn't want him to hurt me more.

It was stupid and barely made sense in my own mind.

"Come on," Thalia said, unlocking the stall door.

I followed her out and finally pressed 2 on my phone which was still clutched in my hand.

**(A/N) Yup, so that's it!**


	24. Chapter 24

Annabeth never replied to the message I'd left her. I didn't really understand why she didn't call me to just tell me she was happy for me. I did what she wanted. I was adjusting too my new environment, trying to make new friends.

Gods, women. You do what they don't want, and they're not happy. You do what they do want, and they're _still_ not happy.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the day. It was a mad rush to get out of the classroom and to the lockers. Before I could reach my own, I was stopped.

"Percy," Someone perky chirped.

I turned to Melissa. "Hey."

"So," She chimed. "I was thinking we could… you know, maybe see a movie or something?"

See a movie? I watched as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. She looked nervous, but excited at the same time. Like she was just waiting for my yes, and the waiting was the worst part.

My heart sank. Melissa was my first friend at my new school, the one who'd introduced me to Silena, Beckendorf and Clarisse. If I burned her, I'd feel awful.

But I couldn't accept. In the gentlest way I could manage, I told her, "I'm sorry, Mel. I can't."

I watched the gears begin to turn. "Is this about that girl? The one you're always calling or thinking about calling?"

"Annabeth?'

She snapped her fingers. "Yes! Is this about Annabeth?"

Of course it was about Annabeth. Ever since I met her, everything was all about Annabeth. "Yes. I guess it is."

Mel's eyes filled with tears. "I thought you'd gotten over her. I mean, you flirt with me sometimes. And you joined the swim team. And my friends like you. I just thought… why did I think that? I mean, it's so obvious you're not over her and you probably never will be, huh, Percy?"

"Melissa, please don't. It's not you, it's me."

Her eyes flashed. "I swear. Don't even go there."

She stormed away, high heeled boots clicking on the ground. Silena saw her and trailed after her, shooting me a look.

Beckendorf was with them, but he headed for me. We walked toward my locker. "She asked you out, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You said no, huh?"

"Yeah."

Beckendorf shook his head. "Silena warned her not to do it."

I scowled at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Beckendorf sighed, indicating annoyance but his eyes just sparkled like they always did when he talked about his girlfriend. "She's got this thing for love. She said as soon as she met you, she knew you were crazy about someone. She told Mel it was a bad idea to ask you out, but Mel didn't listen."

"Imagine that."

Beckendorf glanced at me slyly. "Silena thinks you should call this girl."

My shoulders slumped. "I've tried. She doesn't pick up. She wanted me to adjust to life in Milwaukee, so I did that. I called her to tell her and make her happy, and she didn't say anything."

My friends grunted. "Rough, man. Seriously rough."

"You're telling—"

My phone vibrated in my pocket. I debated not picking it up, but in the end my curiosity won out. I flipped my phone open and was greeted with Annabeth's picture.

"Dude, it's her!" I exclaimed before pressing the talk button.

The noise of the cafeteria met my ears. "Hello?"

"Percy? It's Annabeth," She stated matter-of-factly. "I'm sorry I never returned your earlier call. So, swim team?"

It was hard to gauge what she was feeling by the way she wa talking. She sounded so professional, like we were business partners rather than friends. It was alarming.

"Yes," I answered. "I'm on the swim team. I swim the two-hundred."

Silence. Then, "Super awesome!"

There was the super again, a dead giveaway that she wasn't happy. "Something going on?"

"Oh. No, nothing. I joined the Mathletes."

I could practically hear her blushing as she said the word. I smirked. "You're a Mathlete now? Seriously, Annabeth?"

"Shut up," She commanded playfully. "I'm also on the chess team and the debate team."

"Wow, you're a nerd."

"Yes," Annabeth countered. "And you're a jock. Shouldn't you be lifting weights?"

I snickered. "Shouldn't you be cleaning your glasses or communicating on a calculator?"

She laughed before growing serious. "Actually, I think maybe I should go."

"Already?" I fought to keep the disappointment out of my voice.

She said something with her mouth away from the phone, probably to one of her nerd friends. "Yeah, sorry. But listen, Percy, I missed you. Let's…" She sucked in a breath. "Let's try to talk more."

"Well, I won't complain. You're the one that cut off all forms of communication." I sounded sharper than I'd meant to.

I could hear her breathing and someone else saying something to her in the background. "I'm sorry," She finally said, grudgingly. "I thought it was for the best."

"It wasn't."

"Yeah," She whispered. "I see that now. I really do need to go, though."

I couldn't help myself. "Hot date with the lead dork of all your teams?"

"Oh, gross! He's…. no," She finally said in disgust. "Just _no_." Then she laughed. "I'm hanging out with Grover and Thalia, actually. Nico, too. Maybe sometime soon we can all hang out. Bye, Percy!"

She hung up.

I stared at the phone in wonder, thinking that maybe things between us would finally get better. To Beckendorf, I said, "I think this is going to be okay."

Beckdorf gave me a long, measured look. "As Silena would say, 'You're so in love with her.'"

And as I got my stuff out of my lockers, I let myself agree. "Yeah. I guess I am."

**(A/N) **I am a horrible, horrible person, you guys! I know it's true. Please forgive me.

I've been working on lots of original work, some of which I'll be posting on fictionpress. I've got one story up that I'm working on, and I will be updating that more frequently than any of my fanfictions, so if you're just DYING to read some of my work, there is a link to that at the bottom of my profile.


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